2022 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux

You certainly feel the strong tannic texture on the palate, but there is plenty of quality material to follow. The aromas are less black-fruit oriented and coalesce around earthy, smoky spice and mineral influences.

This is one of the most powerful wines of the vintage, but not in the sense of alcohol (14.2%). Yet everything feels in balance, even if it is hard to pinpoint the nuances of fruit and flavour. It is, without doubt, a wine for the long haul and really impressive in its way. An assertive expression of the vintage, it is authoritarian but brilliantly managed. 

Cabernet Sauvignon 66%; Merlot 28%; Cabernet Franc 3%; Petit Verdot 3%.

Drink 2032 - 2065

Score: 18.5/20

Berry Bros. & Rudd (April 2023)