Lynch Bages, released this evening at £575, has been on a roll for a number of vintages and has been one of the consistently best en primeur ‘banker’ buys. After slightly losing the plot, along with the rest of the market, in 2011/12/13, with 2014 it is back at a price and quality level that is pitched to regain this position as the nation’s favourite top-end claret. We loved the wine this year, and so did everyone else: “Should make very good old bones to chew over. Long and glamorous. Tasting it blind, I guessed it was Lynch” writes Jancis Robinson, and we like this ‘blind recognition’ – this is a wine with a personality which transcends vintages. Coming out at around £60 per bottle delivered to your cellar including VAT, this is recommended.
The rest of the Lynch stable is also out, Blanc de Lynch Bages which is getting a great reputation, our old ‘buy it in magnums’ friend Les Ormes de Pez, and the second wine of Lynch, Echo de Lynch Bages‘, all recommended as providing good drinking value.
This late release comes after other releases of the day which seemed to offer less compelling reasons to buy, but there’s no doubting the quality of Angélus and Palmer, and there are bargains at the lower level with La Tour Carnet and Fombrauge – read more here.