Producer

Château Lynch-Bages

SUMMARY

The history of wine production at Chateau Lynch-Bages starts in the 16th century but it was not until 1749 when Thomas Lynch, an Irish merchant, acquired Chateau Lynch-Bages that production really began in earnest. Despite not being a local, the wine produced by Lynch was of great quality and was classified as one of the fifth growths at the prestigious 1855 Classification as part of the Exposition Universelle de Paris. Now in the hands of manager Franck Debrais and oenologist Nicolas Labenne, and his team, Chateau Lynch-Bages produces some of the worlds best wines from its 90 hectares. Château Lynch-Bages is arguably most famous for its eponymous red wine, of which around 20,000 cases are made each year.

Located just to the south of the commune of Pauillac, one of Bordeaux’s famous “satellites” or smaller wine villages within its greater region, Chateau Lynch-Bages is one of the five wines that were originally classified as a ‘Second Growth’ at the 1855 Classification. Originally part of a vast estate owned by Jean de Pontac in 1680, it was bought and sold several times before becoming part of Bordeaux wine merchant Thomas Lynch’s collection after his marriage to his wife Elizabeth, in 1749. The Bages continued to own and operate the estate until 1824 when it was sold to Sebastien Jurine, another wine merchant. The estate would eventually end up in the hands of Jean-Charles Cazes and the Cazes family continues to own the Chateau to date. The vineyard itself is around 90 hectares and composed of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. While the majority of the wine produced by Chateau Lynch-Bages is red, it does also grow a small number of white varieties, such as Semillon, Sauvignon blanc, and Muscadelle on a smaller 4.5-hectare plot. Chateau Lynch-Bages is a member of the prestigious “Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon” group (The Heirs/Successors of Count Lafond), which consists of three other Fifth Growths in Pauillac; Châteaux Pontac, and Labegorce, as well as Château Leoville Las Cases. It is also one of only two Bordeaux chateaus that can be found within all five wine growing regions: Graves, Sauternes, Pessac Léognan, Saint Emilion and Margaux. This unique terroir has allowed for wines that have become complex and intriguing, with tasting notes of black cherry, truffle and coffee. Once the grapes are picked and brought into the winery, they are processed using malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tans and fermented in oak barrels for around 15-months. The Chateau produces around 20,000 cases on an average year and, since 2008, has added a second wine Echo de Lynch-Bages, and a third wine, Pauillac de Lynch-Bages.