Winemaker Notes
Aromas of fresh and exotic fruits from Sauvignon Blanc, dried and candied fruits and white flowers from Sémillon and delicate woody and vanilla notes from Muscadelle come together to make this complex Lynch-Bages White. The palate balances freshness and strength with a round, ample yet elegant structure. Characteristic of fine Bordeaux whites, Lynch-Bages White is lively and explosive in its early youth and retains impressive length on the palate for the duration of its life.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
A balanced, juicy, slate-filled mineral edge here, with a crisp shot of mint. Has a lovely balance of rich texture and acidity, with lime blossom and citrus. Drinking Window 2020 - 2028
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James Suckling
Beautiful aromas of white peach, honeydew, white grapefruit, lemon grass, jasmine and flint. It’s full-bodied with a creamy texture and bright acidity. Layered and phenolic with tangy, lightly pithy citrus notes and a mineral edge. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
A lively thyme note pierces the core of white peach and white asparagus flavors. Offers a racy edge, with jasmine and white peach details in reserve.
Barrel Sample: 90-93 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Blanc de Lynch Bages is showing a little reduction, opening out to notions of warm peaches, passion fruit and gooseberries plus suggestions of honeysuckle, coriander seed and chalk dust. Medium-bodied, the palate is completely filled with tropical and citrus flavors plus a racy backbone, finishing long with a touch of chalkiness.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Pretty pineapple, white grapefruit, and a touch of chalky minerality emerge from the 2018 Château Lynch-Bages Blanc, a fresh, lively white that has a bright spine of acidity, medium-bodied richness, and a crisp, clean finish. Drink this outstanding Bordeaux Blanc over the coming 2-4 years or so.
The grapes are all hand picked and then carefully sorted before crushing. A very strict selection is made prior to blending and the wine is traditionally aged in oak barrels before bottling.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
One of the most important wine regions of the world, Bordeaux is a powerhouse producer of wines of all colors, sweetness levels, and price points. Separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a coastal pine forest, this relatively flat region has a mild maritime climate, marked by cool wet winters and warm summers. Annual weather differences create significant vintage variations, making Bordeaux an exciting French wine region to follow.
The Gironde estuary, a defining feature of Bordeaux, separates most of the region into the Left Bank and the Right Bank. Farther inland, where the Gironde splits into the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, the bucolic, rolling hills of the area in between, called Entre-Deux-Mers, is a source of great quality, approachable reds and whites.
The Left Bank, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, contains the Médoc, Graves, and Sauternes, as well as the region’s most famous chateaux. Merlot is important here as the perfect blending grape for Cabernet Sauvignon adding plush fruit and softening Cabernet's sometimes hefty tannins. Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec may also be used in the Left Bank Bordeaux wine blends.
Merlot is the principal Bordeaux wine variety of the Right Bank; Cabernet Franc adds structure and complexity to Merlot, creating wines that are concentrated, supple, and more imminently ready for drinking, compared with their Left Bank counterparts. Key appellations of the Right Bank include St. Emilion and Pomerol.
Dry and sweet Bordeaux white wines are produced throughout the region from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and sometimes Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris. Some of the finest dry whites can be found in the Graves sub-appellation of Pessac-Léognan, while Sauternes is undisputedly the gold standard for sweet wines. Small amounts of rosé and sparkling Bordeaux wines are made in the region as well.