Château LYNCH-BAGES 1996
Château Lynch-Bages is located in Pauillac , in the Bordeaux wine region. It was classified Fifth Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification. It takes part of its name from Thomas Lynch, a Bordeaux merchant of Irish origin who owned the property from 1749 to 1824. The property remained in the Lynch family for 75 years. , before being taken over by the Cazes family at the beginning of the 20th century. The vineyard, which extends over a hundred hectares, is located on a plateau to the west of the town of Pauillac on soils of gravel, chalk and sand. A notable feature of the estate is the old winery with its traditional slatted floors, ropes, pulleys and buckets, which provide the benefits of gravity flow.
Château Lynch-Bages is a predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon blend, supplemented with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine is aged for around 15 months in oak barrels , around two thirds of which are new. The 1996 vintage for Bordeaux was extremely good : a mild winter and a warm spring with a month of March bringing significant heat. A hot and dry September favored the ripening of the grapes, which particularly benefited the Médoc. The harvest was a complete success. Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly from the Médoc, has produced tannic, structured, very concentrated wines that are suitable for ageing.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot