2003 Château Lynch-Bages
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Tasting notes
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged for 15 months in oak barrels (70% new). Strikingly deep red colour with a touch of brick at the rim. Fragrant nose with dark fruit, graphite and liquorice notes. Liquorice again on the palate as well as telltale freshness. Tannins slightly abrasive on the finish but overall impressive for this hot, dry year. Still has form and substance so not finished yet. (JL)
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
The 2003 Lynch Bages has a precocious bouquet with bold, perhaps slightly monolithic licorice-infused black fruit, touches of camphor and pencil shavings that emerge with time. The palate is dense and powerful with weighty, slightly glossy black fruit. Not a complex Lynch-Bages, it is missing a bit of freshness and tension that urges you back for another sip. Drink over the next decade. Tasted at the château.
The 2003 Lynch-Bages has a rich and forward nose with licorice-infused black fruit, black plum and melted tar. This is very concentrated with sweet black fruit, cedar and mint, but it feels a little heavy in the mouth and is missing some complexity and freshness on the finish. A bit labored compared to coeval vintages? Tasted at the Lynch Bages vertical at the château.
Retaining a deep ruby colour even at 19 years old, impressive from a such a hot vintage. The tannins are a little sombre, but this has plenty of Pauillac signature, with clear graphite, slate, cassis, and an enjoyably juicy finish. I've found a few 2003s that are tasting great in this corner of the Médoc, which is not the case all over Bordeaux, and this is one to enjoy now and over the next decade. 70% new oak.
About the producer
Ch. Lynch-Bages is one of the largest and best properties in Pauillac, in the Médoc. While officially classified as a Fifth Growth estate, it regularly competes with the First and Second Growths when it comes to quality and ageability.