CHÂTEAU LYNCH MOUSSAS

2020 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac

EN PRIMEUR

Rich smoky notes, coffee, mocha, raspberry and black cherry, grilled cedar - a little short on the finish. Tasted several times, and the oak is pretty dominant, it struggles to allow enough gaps through the structure to let the fruit out. A yield of 42hl/ha. 60% new oak Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

* 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.

This is a very structured red with lots of blackberry, currant, walnut and graphite. Full-bodied and long. Nice chewiness. 72% cabernet sauvignon, the rest merlot. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)

72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot. Cask sample. Smoky, graphite, dark-fruit and mocha nose. Soft and supple on attack then firm tannic drive. Oak needs to integrate so a little awkward at present but there’s potential. Drinking range: 2027 - 2038 Rating: 16 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)

72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot. Intense colour, with purplish-blue hues. It reveals blackcurrant, black fruits and liquorice aromas. The attack is all sweetness, with a stretched and very elegant structure. At this early stage of aging, it already presents a lot of charm and delicacy, while retaining the power of its terroir. (Axel Marchal, Doctor of OEnology).Winemaker's notes (May 2021)

Really classic aromas of black and red currants with bark, mushrooms and black truffles. Full-bodied with lovely velvety tannins and a fluidity and brightness. Firm, velvety finish. Extremely well done for this estate. 72% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot. Drink after 2028. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)

Really classic aromas of black and red currants with bark, mushrooms and black truffles. Full-bodied with lovely velvety tannins and a fluidity and brightness. Firm, velvety finish. Extremely well done for this estate. 72% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot. Drink after 2028. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2023)

The 2020 Lynch-Moussas has really closed down post-bottling. Much more severe than it was from barrel, the 2020 is presently marked by swaths of tannin and bright acids that render it impenetrable today. Let's see what time brings. Super-ripe red cherry, pipe tobacco, cedar and mint linger on the brooding, virile finish. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 91 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Lynch-Moussas has quite an intense bouquet with a distinct marine/estuarine scent filtering through the black fruit, well-defined with hints of cedar and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, purer than the vintages of old, more finessed with a harmonious, quite mineral-driven finish that is very satisfying. This might deserve a higher score down the line - a very classy Pauillac. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

This is a serviceable wine with a raw edge and slightly musty fruit and I feel that it will sort itself out within a decade but always be a wine lacking in dynamism and basic ripeness. Rating: 15.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Lynch-Moussas is a racy, plush Pauillac. Super-ripe red fruit and soft, generous contours give the 2020 its decidedly flamboyant personality. Blood orange, cedar, tobacco and mint open with a bit of time in the glass. Lynch-Moussas remains quite extroverted in feel. Drinking range: 2030 - 2050 Rating: 91-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Lynch-Moussas has a well-defined bouquet of blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and freshly rolled tobacco scents. Like the Batailley, the aromatics display an appealing marine scent. The palate is medium-bodied with a patina of oak to be subsumed on the entry. But it feels cohesive and well defined, delivering good weight and a fresh, slightly peppery, graphite-tinged finish. This is a fine Pauillac and continues Lynch-Moussas’s fine run of form. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

An incredibly classic Pauillac, the 2020 Château Lynch-Moussas offers medium-bodied aromas and flavors of darker currants, smoked tobacco, lead pencil, and gravelly earth as well as loads of texture, bright tannins, notable balance, and a clean, classy style. It’s not massive, by any means, but given its purity of fruit as well as its tannins, it should easily evolve for two decades. Rating: 90-92 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

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 Castéja bought Lynch Moussas in 1919, and his family still own the estate. Lynch Moussas has has not really matched its apparent namesake estate of Lynch Bages which exceeds its 5th growth status with ease. Indeed, by the end of the 1960's, Lynch Moussas was run down with the chais in such bad repair that the wine had to be made at neighbouring Batailley. Things have improved considerably since then and, in good years, Lynch Moussas produce some perfectly decent claret. There are 60ha of vines, in various plots around Pauillac, planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at 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 £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

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). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.