This Is A Vertical, But The Years Are On The Back
Verticals of more than 15 year old Bordeaux wines are not easy to come by. This was a special occasion. The four wines were from 2001-2004 Lynch-Bages.
Let me start with two main conclusions. One really needs to be patient with good quality Bordeaux and wait 10-15 years before opening the wines. This is to experience the wine in perfect harmony. I have mentioned this many times on this blog. The second conclusion is that a great producer can make excellent wine in difficult vintages. Wine Spectator rated three of these vintages between 86 and 90 points, only 2003 at 95 points (more on this later).
The best wine was the 2004 Lynch-Bages. It was in perfect balance. The redcurrant fruit still very present. The mouthfeel was surprisingly big. Cedar and tobacco flavours rounded out the palate, while the firm tannins held up the structure (96 points). The 2001 was also very enjoyable. Here I noticed more smoky and earthy flavours. This is a more developed wine with good length and still lively acidity (95 points). The 2002, from a really lean vintage, was holding up, too. It is a leaner wine, with red capsicum prominent - still a fresh and balanced wine (92 points).
The one wine that started to struggle, was the 2003 Lynch-Bages. This was a very hot vintage, in particular pre harvest. The wines were supposed to be powerful, but they were also ripe. And this showed in this wine. Redcurrant fruit was still there, but was overtaken by tertiary flavours, leather in particular. The tannins did not stand up any longer - a (probably) once attractive wine in decline (88 points).
Overall, this was a fascinating tasting. There was a special Lynch-Bages character, certainly in the first three wines mentioned: redcurrant fruit, liveliness, balance, backed by a firm tannin structure.
One more thing: Over 30,000 cases are made each year. Achieving outstanding quality for this volume is different from the minuscule quantities most Burgundy producers dare to handle.
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