2005 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Nice, attractive, sweet violet-cachou aroma – a Pauillac 2005 with some real interest! Juicy and glamorous. Very transparent.

Drink 2016 - 2040

As for the 2005 Lynch-Bages, it is a sexy, surprisingly soft and accessible style of wine, with a deep ruby/purple color, loads of crme de cassis, cedar wood and forest floor notes, medium to full body, ripe tannin and a long, fleshy finish. Drink it over the next 15+ years.

Drink 2015 - 2030

Almost forward but still young; spicy cassis lifts and lengthens its rich dark berry flavours. One of the best Lynch-Bages ever.

Drink 2018 - 2040

The 2005 Lynch-Bages is a surprising wine. Whereas so many 2005s have begun to enter their first plateau of early maturity, the 2005 comes across as still young and in need of further cellaring! The purity of the fruit is striking. Readers who want to get the full Lynch-Bages experience will have to wait at least a few more years. The 2005 is a wine of substance and depth, with all of the raciness that is typical of this wine. It is one of the dark horses of the vintage, and still has room to go. Impressive.

Drink 2028 - 2048

80% new oak

Open aromatics, tobacco, cigar, full of picture-perfect Pauillac mint leaf, cassis, bilberry, plum and smoked cedar oak. A little austere but with real clarity of fruit that builds through the palate alongside muscular tannins that promise a long life ahead. You have needed to be patient with most Pauillac 2005s, and this will go for another 30 years, but it is starting to get to the point when the Cabernet Sauvignon becomes thirst-quenching and finessed rather than forbidding. A brilliant wine.

Drink 2022 - 2044

A meaty and decadent Lynch with very ripe currant aromas on the nose. Full body, velvety-textured tannins and a powerful finish. It shows so much structure and fruit yet remains polished and focused.

Lovely now to drink but better in 2017.