CHÂTEAU LYNCH BAGES
2012 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Limpid ruby to purple. Quite a quiet nose of firm ripe cabernet and darker pencil-box, classic dry stuff. Sweet fruit edge in the attack. Supple, smooth dry volume of fine tannins holds the palate well with a light grip, 'lubricated' by the fruit sweetness. It's a nice balance and has grand linear purity. Rating: 93 L&S (Apr 2013)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2012 Lynch-Bages has a crisp, rather introverted, tertiary nose with touches of autumn leaves coming through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins, a little disjointed and conservative compared to others, but gains more weight towards its austere and grippy finish. Maybe hard-going at the moment, maybe it will loosen up? Tasted at the Lynch-Bages vertical at the château. Drinking range: 2021 - 2026 Rating: 90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jul 2023)
The 2012 Lynch Bages is much more closed on the nose after the 2012 Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Blackberry and cedar, pencil box and light minty scents gradually unfold. The palate is balanced with a chewy opening. Solid with plenty of dense black fruit, but I find this just lacking delineation and comes across a bit "blocky" on the granular, slightly austere, graphite-tinged finish, confirmed by a second bottle at the Bordeaux Index horizontal. This is just a bit rough around the edges. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting. Drinking range: 2023 - 2037 Rating: 90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Sept 2022)
Dark ruby, a touch closed but as it opens reveals plenty of bilberry and blackcurrant fruit, grilled cedar and slate. Tannins still firm, you can begin to drink but will benefit from a few more years ageing. In the 2012 horizontal tasting held recently it absolutely stood out, and is one of the best to choose in the vintage - but within the Lynch Bages vertical, it falls behind the 2014. 70% new oak, Eric Boissenot consultant. Drinking range: 2024 - 2044 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2022)
Still muscular at 10 years old, this has grip and a sense of tingling minerality, plenty of eucalyptus and fresh mint leaf. This maintains its Pauillac character even in a softer goumet vintage like 2012, and is pleasing for it. Slate and graphite, far more intensity than some, with subtle a sweetness to the blackcurrant puree fruits. 65% new oak. Rating: 95 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Mar 2022)
Tasted blind. Rich and thick. Very dense but with the tannins a little obtrusive at this point. Full blooded. Just very slightly earthbound. But pretty seductive. Just an edge of austerity. Drinking range: 2022 - 2034 Rating: 16.5+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Jan 2016)
The 2012 Lynch-Bages comes across as a bit bombastic and ripe. Mocha, plums, dark cherry, blackberry, licorice, tar and new oak are all evident in this slightly four-square Lynch Bages. Today, the 2012 comes in as somewhat disjointed and not fully put together. It will be interesting to see what further time in bottle brings. The blend is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Because of heat stress, yields were unusually low in 2012, and that may be the reason why the wine is a bit clumsy today. I would give the 2012 a few years to come together. Drinking range: 2020 - 2037 Rating: 91+ Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jan 2016)
The fruit on the nose is rich and there is a good weight and depth of flavour on the palate. The tannins are firm and quite obvious but behind the structure there is depth and richness of fruit. The finish is a touch dry and lacking a bit of generosity. 2020-30 Rating: 88-92 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (Dec 2013)
This wine contains the lowest percentage of Cabernet at Lynch since 1994, reflecting the tricky growing conditions in the Médoc. This is still a pretty serious wine, mind you. The oak is a little intrusive, but it’s still a classic Pauillac with notes of green pepper, blackcurrant and graphite and densely packed tannins. Drink: 2022-35. Rating: 93 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2013)
The Lynch Bages 2012 is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 12th and 18th October and is being raised in 75% new oak just before the rains. It has a very attractive bouquet with crisp blackberry, sous-bois and graphite aromas that are very controlled. No frills here, but it does not need them. The palate is medium-bodied with taut tannins and again, crisp acidity. I like the line here – nicely focused with a grainy finish. Very fine. Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2013)
Deep purple. Floral blackcurrant and mineral aromas on the delicate, pure nose. Then equally delicate in the mouth, offering flavors of dark berries, graphite and cedar. Finishes clean and long, with above-average concentration for the vintage. Jean-Charles Cazes explained that the harvest reception system was changed this year, with two extra reception lines added to destem/sort and then sort again. The result was a very clean crop. Rating: 88-91 Ian d'Agata, www.vinousmedia.com (May 2013)
Some of Lynch Bages's tell-tale cedary, black currant, earth and spice characteristics are present in the 2012's moderately intense bouquet. This wine exhibits good purity, a healthy dark ruby/purple color and medium body. There is a slight deficiency in the mid-palate, but it recovers sufficiently and offers up a decent finish that tails off ever so slightly. This good to excellent wine could use more fat and charm in the mid-section. Cellar it for a couple of years and drink it over the following 12-14 years. 2013 - 2027 Rating: 87-89 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 2013)
Rich dense colour, big meaty wine with good florality as well as rich fruit, a big wine, very ripe for this vintage. Drink: 2017 - 2035 Rating: 17.5 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2013)
Rating: 18 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2013)
Pure and racy, delivering a core of violet, cassis and cherry, well-framed by a sleek, iron-coated structure. Features a long, taut, focused finish. Shows the austerity of the vintage, but this remains long and pure, with fine cut. Rating: 91-94 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2013)
A fruity wine for the vintage with dense tannins. Full body, with impressive structure. Long finish. Generous and attractive. I like the balance and precision for the vintage Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2013)
Rating: 93 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2013)
Château Lynch Bages
Pauillac Cinquième cru 1855 Thomas Lynch emigrated to Bordeaux from Galway in Ireland in 1691. He had two children and it was his son Thomas who associated the family name with Bordeaux by inheriting Lynch-Bages through his wife, and buying Lynch-Moussas and Dauzac in Margaux. Jean-Charles Cazes, who had recently bought Château Les Ormes de Pez in St Estèphe, took the tenancy of Lynch-Bages in 1934, and bought the property outright five years later. It has been the ownership of the Cazes family, who still own the estate, which turned Château Lynch Bages into the leading estate it is today, far exceeding the seemingly lowly 5th growth status bestowed upon it in 1855. There are 90ha of vines in the small village of Bages, just south of Pauillac. Red grapes are planted to 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel before ageing in wood (60% new) for 15 months. There has been a second wine produced at Lynch-Bages since 1978 that was originally called Château Haut Bages Averous, but has recently been renamed Echo de Lynch Bages. A small amount of Château Lynch Bages Blanc is made from 40% each of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and 20% Muscadelle.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.