Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2014

'#1 Wine of the Year 2022'/97 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet France, 3% Petit Verdot. Inky plum in colour, you can see this is rich and textured even before going anywhere near the nose, which then displays ripe fruit. Gorgeous quality, a wine that is packed full of graphite, pencil lead, waves of violet, cassis, liqourice, and chewy but well defined tannins. Leaps out of the glass and is clear proof that, when it gets it right, the 2014 vintage equals the 2015 in this northern sector of the Médoc. Good value also compared to the 2015 and 2016 - a must buy for me. 70% new oak, Eric Boissenot consultant. Alcohol 13.5%. Drink: 2024-2044. (3/11/22)"

96 points James Suckling: "Aromas of currants, blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of chocolate and spices. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Juicy and muscular wine. Needs three or four years to open. Beautiful. (2/13/17)"

95 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "The 2014 Lynch-Bages is full of promise, offering up a classic bouquet of rich but vibrant blackcurrant fruit mingled with with hints of loamy soil, cedar and vanilla pod. Full-bodied, deep and layered, with an abundance of ripe but youthfully assertive tannin, lively acids and a long, resonant finish, it will hit its stride in 10 to 15 years. This is an excellent Lynch-Bages that represents especially good value in the contemporary marketplace. Drink: 2028-2068. (Feb 2022)"

95 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "Fragrant and perfumed, this wine is the epitome of great Cabernet Sauvignon. It is fruity, juicy yet with serious concentrated tannins. There is spice from the wood aging along with a dash of pepper, all the while just bringing out the beautiful black-currant flavors. Drink this wine from 2024. Alcohol 13.5%. (Feb 2017)"

94+ points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2014 Lynch-Bages is just as powerful and dense from bottle as it was from barrel. Deep, powerful and bold, it possesses remarkable richness in all of its dimensions. Ripe red cherry, spice, leather, tobacco and rose petal all develop in the glass, but it is the wine's sheer amplitude today that is quite remarkable. It will need quite a bit of cellaring to be at its best, and is clearly built to age. This is a terrific showing from the Cazes family. The blend is 69 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 % Merlot, 3 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot. Drink: 2024-2044. (Feb 2017)"

95 points Wine Spectator: "This has beguiling hints of plum cake and melted licorice peeking out, while a core of cassis and blackberry confiture waits in reserve. There's ample grip, but this remains very polished and integrated, with lovely echoes of anise and fruitcake showing through the very lengthy finish. Will be hard to keep your hands off this while it ages. Best from 2019 through 2035. (3/31/17)"

94 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "A dark, smoky and brooding character to the nose here, all grilled cherries on a bed of toast, with notes of liquorice, black bean and black pepper, all of which comes wrapped in a fine thread of new oak. A fresh, polished, quite seamless start, with a sense of elegance to it, very pure, integrated and complete, with a fine seam of tannins wrapped around the middle. Wonderfully fresh, bright, with a charged structural energy in the finish, a long seam of firm, confident tannins appearing here which seem otherwise well buried in the wine. Great structure. A keeper. (Nov 2018)"

94 points Falstaff Guide (4/24/15).