Pre-Arrival · Pauillac, Bordeaux

Bordeaux’s Q Score King.

2020 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac
Ex-Château · Expected Winter 2027

$139.98 per bottle

Dear Friend,

Ever heard of a ‘Q Score’?

It’s the measurement of the familiarity and appeal of a brand, company, celebrity, or television show used in the United States. The TV networks use it to determine marketability of sports stars, celebrities…the Kardashians. The higher the number, the more ‘coin’ a celebrity can expect to make when negotiating that next sponsorship deal, commercial appearance or sitcom.

Who is Bordeaux’s Q Score King? There’s no doubt about it. Château Lynch-Bages is the most recognized Bordeaux in America.

If you mention Bordeaux stateside, outside of the Rothschilds and maybe Château Margaux, most folks with a reasonable knowledge of wine will recognize, at the very least, the ‘Lynch’ in Lynch-Bages.

This is not by accident. The Cazes family have owned Lynch-Bages since 1934, though the estate itself has been around for over four centuries. Jean-Charles Cazes was instrumental in building the brand we know today, doing decades of marketing work in America that made Lynch-Bages a household name among fine wine drinkers. And the wines back it up: from the legendary 1989 and 1990 through 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2016, this Fifth Growth has long performed well above its classification.

The new Lynch-Bages winery in Pauillac · 2020 was its first vintage

The 2020 Château Lynch-Bages was the first wine produced in the estate’s magnificent new state-of-the-art winery, a milestone in its history. Part of the extraordinary trio of 2018, 2019 and 2020, it combines everything we love about great Pauillac: rich, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon fruit, remarkable structure, beautiful freshness and that unmistakable Lynch-Bages personality. It’s powerful without being heavy, polished without sacrificing character, and built for decades in the cellar.

“The 2020 vintage proves once again that the estate punches well above its fifth-growth classification.”

Wine Spectator · Top 100 of 2023

The critics certainly agree! James Suckling awarded it 99 points and a place on his Top 100 Wines of the Year, Decanter and Jane Anson both came in at 98, and Wine Spectator named it the #3 Wine of the Year in its Top 100 of 2023.

All of this leads to the point that Lynch-Bages sells. There is consistently high demand for this wine in the States, and prices remain begrudgingly firm. At $139.98, this is a great price on a future classic.

Available on pre-arrival now, with delivery expected Winter 2027. But you won’t be drinking this bad boy before then anyway, will you? If you love great Pauillac, this is one to secure by the case and put away.

99

Points

James Suckling says

“A beautifully layered red with blackcurrant, hazelnut and lead-pencil character and fine, velvety tannins. Full-bodied and reserved. It’s like a tightly knit ball of polished tannins that are cashmere in texture. So very long and impressive. Give this time. A terrific Lynch. Better after 2027.”

Over four centuries of history · Bages, Pauillac

Our Tasting Note

Deep, almost opaque purple in color, the 2020 Lynch-Bages delivers an extraordinary bouquet of blackcurrants, ripe blackberries, graphite, cedar, tobacco, and crushed stone, with subtle notes of violets and dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, powerful, and remarkably concentrated, yet everything is beautifully proportioned. Layers of cassis, dark cherry, licorice, and mineral notes unfold across a dense core of fruit, supported by ripe, finely textured tannins and vibrant acidity. The finish is exceptionally long, with that classic Pauillac combination of richness, freshness, and savory complexity. This is unmistakably Lynch-Bages, but with an added level of precision and refinement that makes it particularly compelling.

A future classic. Secure yours by the case.

Pre-arrival · Ex-Château · Expected Winter 2027

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