Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
Cool blue fruits on the nose, a little shy at this point. Intensely fruited, really rich and ripe but clean and clear, giving a depth of ripe blackcurrants but juicy, fresh and alive. Almost sharp, it’s intense with bite to the fruit and such lean tannins that give a firm but light grip to the mouth. I like the attack, it’s bold and confident but refined at the same time. Good fruit profile, balancing acidity and lovely lean, mineral tannins. Well structured, nothing too much or overdone with freshness throughout. Well worked with precision. Spicy, black pepper, cedar, tobacco, liquorice, a touch of coffee, but all giving nuance underneath the fruit, tannins and acidity. It’s concentrated no doubt, this has power, but is presented carefully with such a lifted, juicy finish. This will be a beauty.
Barrel Sample: 95 -
James Suckling
Very clear and transparent with blackcurrant, blueberry, lead pencil, mint and violet aromas that follow through to a medium body with ultrafine tannins that go on and on. Such polish and beauty. Crunchy at the end. 74% cabernet sauvignon and 26% merlot.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Smoky dark fruits and leafy tobacco are just some of the notes in the 2022 Château Lynch-Moussas, a medium to full-bodied, nicely balanced, beautifully layered Pauillac. The tannins here are ripe and polished, and it has plenty of mid-palate depth as well as outstanding length. It's a seriously good wine, if not the finest I've tasted from this château. It's clearly in the same ballpark as the 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Barrel Sample: 92-94
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.