Château Lynch Bages 2014

Château Lynch Bages 2014, Pauillac, Bordeaux, 13.5%

(c £70 per bottle in bond, BBR, Farr Vintners etc)

This was a standout wine at a big tasting of 90+ Bordeaux wines from the 2014 vintage held at Vintners Hall by the Institute of Masters of Wine.

Also impressive were the likes of Mouton, Angelus, Margaux, Calon Segur, Conseillante, Montrose – and, in the sweets, Climens and d’Yquem.

Let’s be clear – 2014 is no stellar vintage. It’s a good one, and a welcome return to form after the disastrous 2013. A dismal summer was followed by a fine autumn, with some rains towards harvest time in the southern Medoc, hitting the likes of Margaux and Graves.

The reds are classically proportioned, typically with fresh acidity, moderate alcohols and modest aromatic scope. The ones that stand out have that extra dimension of scent and complexity, together with a broader structure and greater finesse and depth.

Such is this wine – still young but with a dense, fine-textured energy and resonance to it. One to put away and come back to in the fullness of time. Hardly cheap – but not bad value in the context.

(8-8.5/10, Susie & Peter, Nov 2018)