Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
An impressive, strong effort from Lynsolence, this wine, which normally is 100% Merlot, tipping the scale at 14.5%, has an almost opaque bluish/purple color that is followed by a full-bodied, very concentrated, beautifully made wine with sweet tannin, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel and almost skyscraper-like intensity and richness. This is a star of the vintage and a great, great effort from Lynsolence. Production from the tiny 6.5-acre vineyard was a measly 22 hectoliters per hectare. Drink it over the next 15 or more years.
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Wine Spectator
A very ambitious wine, with loads of boysenberry, plum and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors rumbling along, lined with lots of anise and fruitcake details. Shows a wall of toast on the polished finish. For fans of the fruit-bomb style, but should develop with cellaring. Best from 2016 through 2022.
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.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.