Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2019

100 points/'#2 Top Wine of 2022,' Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2019 Château Lynch-Bages is stunningly good, and it's going to be interesting to compare this to the 2018 over the coming decades. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 75% new French oak, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, freshly sharpened cedar pencil, spring flowers, smoke, and graphite, with an almost liqueur of rocks-like minerality. A massive, incredibly concentrated Lynch-Bages, Jean-Charles has hit a home run in the vintage, and this sensational wine has building, perfect tannins, insane purity, and a finish that won't quit. It has the purity, finesse, balance, and depth to offer pleasure not only today but to evolve for 40 to 50 years. Smart money will hide these for a good 7-8 years, but wow, what a wine. Bravo. Drink: 2029-2072. (4/11/22)"

99 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2019 Lynch Bages is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel, if not moreso. What a wine! Towering and vertical in its bearing, the 2019 is a total stunner. There is plenty of Lynch Bages charm, but what distinguishes the 2019 most is its spine of tannin and energy. Time in the glass brings out sweet red cherry, plum, blood orange and pomegranate and mint. The 2019 is a great, great, great Lynch Bages. It reminds me of the epic 1989, but with the youthful grip of this vintage. A towering Pauillac, the 2019 Lynch Bages will make a great addition to any cellar. Drink: 2031-2059. (Jan 2022)"

97 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): "Intense, deep and dark aromatics - such wonderful Cabernet notes on the nose. This is incredibly impactful from the very first taste, it grips the mouth and courses with power but in a well balanced, harmonious way. Mouthwatering fruit juice is backed by tannins that, although fill the mouth entirely, come across as quite ripe and soft with a backbone of menthol cooling freshness that goes from start to finish. A Pauillac with such an enticing dark profile, concentrated and direct but also so much to give. Still not near it's potential yet. Drinking Window: 2026-2047. (Jan 2022)"

97 points Jane Anson: "(70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot). Tight black fruits, run through with espresso, cocoa bean and bitter black chocolate shavings. Brilliant quality, with tannic heft and precision. Takes a jump halfway through the palate and lifts right off. I have tasted this several times over the past few months, and it consistently performs. 75% new oak, Eric Boissenot consults. Drink: 2029-2050. (3/11/22)"

97 points James Suckling: "Fantastic blackberries, blackcurrants, lead pencil and violets. So Pauillac on the nose! Full-bodied with a dense, layered palate and tight yet plush tannins that give the wine layers and gravitas. Compact. Long finish. Silky. Reminds me of a modern, classic version of something like the wonderful 1985 Lynch. Try after 2026. (2/20/22)"

97 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "(Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot). A deep, dark ruby colour, with an opaque core, purple reflections, and an ochre rim. A delicate touch of fine oak, blackberry, a whisper of mint, and cassis combine on a classic Pauillac nose. Full-bodied and juicy with ripe cherries, it has a silky texture, fine tannins, and convincing freshness before a long mineral finish. Very seductive. Great development and ageing potential. (2/23/22)"

97 points Wine Enthusiast: "The wine's power is important and impressive. Behind this lies a solid structure along with powerful black fruits, allowing the succulent nature of the Cabernet Sauvignon to shine. The wine will develop slowly over many years. Drink from 2027. Alcohol 14%. (Oct 2022)"

96+ points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "A true classic from this estate, the 2019 Lynch-Bages has turned out brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and sweet blackberry fruit mingled with licorice, mint, cigar wrapper and loamy soil. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it's a deep, multidimensional wine built around a chassis of rich, powdery tannins and succulent balancing acids. The last vintage produced in Lynch-Bages old winery, it will be interesting to compare this benchmark wine with subsequent vintages over the coming years. Drink: 2029-2065. (Apr 2022)"

96 points Rod Smith, MW (TimAtkin.com): "Concentrated and rich with a saline mineral earthiness and deep black fruit extract. Lots of oak, but not dominating. Inviting and deep. Berry deep palate coating tannic extraction with a silky creaminess of texture and lush black fruits. A real powerhouse of a wine, with a long and very concentrated finish. Leave for a decade before approaching and then happily keep for up to a couple more. Delicious and noteworthy wine. (2022)"