A brooding nose, showing pulpy blackberries, ripe mulberries, peppercorns and violet extract. The signature Lynch-Bages tannin structure with good concentration of fruit helps deliver an almost full-bodied, structured red and a long, fruity finish. Wait and see. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot

The 2024 Lynch-Bages is packed. Cedar, scorched earth, licorice, incense and pipe tobacco weave through a core of dark, sepia-toned fruit. I especially admire the long, polished finish and overall balance here. The 2024 is a virile Lynch Bages with a bright future. Tasted two times

Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and 3% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2024 Château Lynch-Bages will spend 18 months in 75% new oak. It reached 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.67. This is a rich, powerful Pauillac, just as you'd expect from this address, with a dense purple hue and rocking aromatics of smoky currants, cassis, violets, lead pencil, and spicy wood. Medium to full-bodied, it has beautiful purity, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This is a classic, impeccably balanced Lynch-Bages that will be long-lived.

Cropped at 30 hectoliters per hectare (the lowest yield at this address since 1991), the 2024 Lynch-Bages is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Opening in the glass with aromas of minty berries and creamy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and heavily extracted, with firm, chalky tannins that assert themselves on the mouth-puckering finish. Lynch-Bages has historically performed well in challenging vintages, but the 2024 will demand considerable patience.