Château Lynch-Bages 1999 comes from a tricky Bordeaux vintage, but Lynch-Bages was one of Pauillac's stars (as ever!).

Lynch-Bages, with a succession of fine vintages since 1981, has justifiably built up a solid reputation based on deeply concentrated, classically styled wines. Its owner, Jean-Michel Cazes, is a proud, gregarious man, who has constantly championed the wines of Lynch-Bages, Pauillac and Bordeaux. So much so, that President Chirac bestowed upon him the country’s highest decoration – a Knighthood in the Legion of Honour.

Known fondly in the trade as Lunch Bags, this phrase is perhaps more appropriate now than ever given the redevelopment of the hamlet of Bages, which now boasts a stylish café and bakery – perfect for lunchtime stops!

"After two underwhelming encounters, this ’99 has finally begun to show us its true quality even though it is still quite closed on the nose. But there is good definition with scents of cedar, blackberry, wild hedgerow and just a hint of 2HB. More classic in style than the 1998. The palate is cut from a similar cloth as the 1998 but there is more backbone, better acidity, lovely succulent black fruits with a touch of bilberry and briary, leading to a more austere, tobacco tinged finish with moderate length. This is a commendable wine for the vintage."  eRobertParker.com (Jan 2009)