Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2021

96 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "[$130 list] A high percentage (75%) of new wood has given this wine a very fine polished character. Along with the structure, it has brought out impressive aromas of black fruits, cinnamon spice and power. The wine is has a fresh black-fruit aftertaste. Drink from 2028. Alcohol 13%. (Jul 2024)"

95 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): " Sweet blackcurrant fruit on the nose, softly jammy and expressive. You can really feel the ripeness here, grapes got full maturity and this is plush, mouthfilling and plump with chewy tannins - more opulent and perfumed than others also with more power and body. Tannins are mouthfilling and you get the stone minerality and the Cabernet freshness that really takes over giving this a sense of tension and grip. A really characterful and expressive Pauillac where the tannins and acidity perfectly compliment each other with the muscular and concentrated fruit also giving a multi-faceted dimension. 3% Cabernet Sauvignon completes the blend. 3.72pH. Ageing 75% new barrels. Drinking Window: 2026-2048. (Apr 2022)"

95 points James Suckling: "Lovely depth to the nose of this young Bordeaux with black currant, ink and walnut aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with a solid core of polished and integrated tannins. This will drink beautifully in 2026 and onwards. (12/16/23)"

94 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2021 Lynch-Bages has a wonderful bouquet with intense blackberry and bilberry fruit, retaining the estuarine element I remarked upon from barrel. The oak here is seamlessly integrated and gains complexity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, very supple and focused, a little more peppery toward the finish with impressive grip and depth in context of the vintage. This is a superb achievement in a tricky season. Chapeau, Jean-Charles Cazes. Drink: 2027-2055. (Feb 2024)"

94 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2021 Lynch-Bages is rather somber today. Black fruit, mocha, licorice and chocolate are all amplified in this decidedly muscular wine from a cool year. This is a distinctly cool-climate Lynch-Bages built on power, with less of its usual flash. Drink: 2031-2061. (Feb 2024)"

94 points Wine Spectator: "Displays a nice mix of almost caressing black cherry and black currant paste flavors, with warm cast iron, sweet tobacco and chestnut notes, showing just a nip of the vintage's austerity. Rock solid for the vintage, this offers a lively, savory edge that adds cut and energy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040. (4/30/24)"

94 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc). Has the austerity that you want of a great Left Bank wine at the beginning of its life, with cool vintage savoury raspberry leaf, capsicum and peony. Tons of slate-textured tannins, not hugely concentrated which makes it an outlier of recent Lynch Bages vintages, but it's exceptionally well balanced, and has excellent appellation character, with cassis and blackberry fruits. A high tannin index of 90IPT. Harvest September 27 through to October 9. One of the best in Pauillac, finishing up with chewy tannins. 75% new oak. Alcohol 13%. Drink: 2028-2041. (11/23/23)"

94 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): "Deep and dark in color, the wine is packed with crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, currants, cigar box and forest floor. On the palate, the wine is fresh, bright, chewy and crisp, with firm tannins. Classic in style, with an energetic, bright, savory-tinted finish, give it some time in the cellar before opening a bottle. The wine blends 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, 13.14% ABV. The yields were low at 34 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2050. (May 2022)"

94 points Tim Atkin, MW (Apr 2022).