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Château Lynch Bages Winery Guide

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Winery Overview

Château Lynch Bages is famous for its exuberant owner, Jean-Michel Cazes, as well as its superlative and long-lasting claret. Indeed, the mention of the name Lynch Bages always brings a broad smile to any Bordeaux lover’s face; it’s one of the most adored estates in the Médoc, producing superbly excellent wines, whatever the vintage conditions. Cazes, despite his advancing years, has been a proud and potent ambassador for Bordeaux wines for decades, traveling the world to engage and delight both connoisseurs and the uninitiated. He has also found time to establish a Michelin-starred restaurant and luxury hotel, set up a wine school, and create the region’s finest bakery. Yet, on paper, Lynch Bages remains a mere 5th growth. But, long-term fans have always known the truth about this iconic name; its wine sails far above the 1855 ranking, and today, no one disputes that Lynch Bages delivers wines far superior to some 3rd and even 2nd growth Châteaux.

Wine has been made on this site in the Pauillac region for centuries – in 1728, landowner Bernard Dejean sold the property to Pierre Drouillard, who sadly died in 1749. Here begins the estate’s association with the Lynch family, as Drouillard’s sister married Irish descent, Thomas Lynch. Indeed, this property is considered one of the famous Irish Wine Geese estates. After that, as is so often the way with Bordeaux wine estates, the Château changed hands many times until it came into the possession of a General called Felix deVial, in the 1920s. DeVial had little genuine interest in the day-to-day running of the property and so hired Insurance agent Jean-Charles Cazes to manage it for him.

The first Cazes to find themselves involved in wine, Jean-Charles decided to purchase the property from deVial in 1939. He made dramatic improvements, including replanting vineyards and restoring the then-decaying buildings. His son, Andre, took over in 1968, but by the early 1970s, he found it increasingly hard to dedicate the time to Lynch Bages that it deserved. Enter Jean-Michel. Andre’s son moved from Paris in 1973 and promptly set the Château on a course toward unparalleled greatness, investing in major tourism projects and renovating the archaic winery. Cazes also hired the talented winemaker Daniel Llose, a move he has not regretted. His direction and charisma are undoubtedly why today, Lynch Bages is held in such high regard by Bordeaux aficionados worldwide. His son, Jean-Charles, has taken over the reins with admirable ease, but it is always Jean-Michel that we will primarily associate with this delightful property.

Lynch Bages’ wines are loved by anyone fortunate enough to taste them. And for a good reason. The red displays all the quintessential characteristics of a superlative Pauillac: powerful, structured, fruit-driven, and long-lived. But unlike other claret, the wine can be enjoyed on release, saving you a painstaking wait. The white is similarly excellent, an elegant, fruit-driven white Bordeaux at an attractive price. Like its red cousin, it never disappoints, and even in difficult years, the Cazes family always seems to craft a crowd-pleasing wine loved by connoisseurs and critics alike – a fitting poster child for the legendary red wines of Bordeaux. Visit this dynamic wine estate with us on a private VIP Bordeaux wine tour!

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Further Reading

Author

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James Lawrence

With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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