Chateau Lynch-Moussas 2020
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Wong
Wilfred
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This is an estate that really has been turned round by the Castéja family. This new vintage shows fine potential, a balance between fruit and the rich texture of ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine will age seriously well.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
James Suckling
Really classic aromas of black and red currants with bark, mushrooms and black truffles. Full-bodied with lovely velvety tannins and a fluidity and brightness. Firm, velvety finish. Extremely well done for this estate.
-
Decanter
Intense and concentrated, lots of liquorice and clove mark the palate alongside ripe blackcurrant and plum. I love the cool freshness here, despite the clear oak, it wears it well with lots of minerality and such smooth, enveloping tannins. There is refinement to this, it hasn't tried too hard to overdo it. Suave with a tiny bit of sweetness on the mid-palate and a long fresh finish. Finely textured with an appealing Cabernet signature of menthol and eucalyptus. A good effort, strong but stylish.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Darker currants, ripe cherries, saddle leather, cedar pencil, and smoked tobacco notes all emerge from the 2020 Chateau Lynch-Moussas, a medium-bodied Pauillac offering ripe, supple tannins, terrific overall balance, integrated oak, and outstanding length. A charming, balanced, incredibly satisfying 2020, it will evolve nicely for 15-20 years.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 Château Lynch-Moussas deftly combines richness with style. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers aromas and flavors of savory notes, earthiness, a chalkiness. Try it with pan-fried flank steak and baby bok choy. (Tasted: January 27, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
Other Vintages
2022-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Advocate
Whisky - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
- Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.
While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.
Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.
Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.