Lynch Bages 2005 1500ml

96 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Textbook, with mouthfilling and slightly gutsy black currant, fig and blackberry fruit flavors bound together by singed cedar, iron and tobacco notes. Features a tug of loam followed by a second wave of fruit through the finish. This is just starting to stretch out.—Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017).

96 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

Classic Lynch-Bages with just a bit of extra power and richness. While the tannins are structured, it is the velvety fruit that rolls around the mouth that is the most dominant character. It is coming together into a wine that will be big and dense, but never over the top.

96 POINTS

James Suckling

This is very dense and tight right now with firm tannins. Currants with cassis, plums and peach. Full and dense, not giving that much. Powerful and intense and structured. It needs at least another five years.

96 POINTS

James Suckling

A meaty and decadent Lynch with very ripe currant aromas on the nose. Full body, velvety-textured tannins and a powerful finish. It shows so much structure and fruit yet remains polished and focused. Lovely now to drink but better in 2017.

96 POINTS

James Suckling

A meaty and decadent Lynch with very ripe currant aromas on the nose. Full body, velvety-textured tannins and a powerful finish. It shows so much structure and fruit yet remains polished and focused. Lovely now to drink but better in 2017.

95 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

94-96 Barrel sample. A wine that seems to revel in richness. The tannins are certainly structured, but the fruit is just bursting out. The dryness and the acidity, though, promise that the fruit will be tamed and the wine will age well .

95 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2005 Lynch-Bages is a surprising wine. Whereas so many 2005s have begun to enter their first plateau of early maturity, the 2005 comes across as still young and in need of further cellaring! The purity of the fruit is striking. Readers who want to get the full Lynch-Bages experience will have to wait at least a few more years. The 2005 is a wine of substance and depth, with all of the raciness that is typical of this wine. It is one of the dark horses of the vintage, and still has room to go. Impressive.

94 POINTS

Decanter

Almost forward but still young; spicy cassis lifts and lengthens its rich dark berry flavours. One of the best Lynch-Bages ever.