Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A beautiful young red with a solid core of ripe fruit that shows blueberry, raspberry and some stone character. The polish and finesse to the tannin texture is impressive. Barrel Sample: 94-95
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Lynsolence is 100% Merlot, aging for 18 months in French oak barriques, 100% new. Deep purple-black in color, it charges out of the glass with energetic scents of fresh blackberries, crushed black cherries and ripe, juicy black plums, plus nuances of cedar chest, lilacs and licorice with a touch of dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with taut black fruits, framed by firm, finely grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing long and layered. The alcohol is 14.5% this year.
Barrel Sample: (93-95)+ -
Jeb Dunnuck
All Merlot brought up in new oak, the 2020 Lynsolence delivers the goods, which it has done for many years now. Offering a beautiful nose of cassis and black cherry fruits as well as chalky minerality and classy oak, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a straight, focused texture, impressive mid-palate density, and a great finish. It has a solid veneer of oak, but it’s integrated and unobtrusive, and this is just a classy Saint-Emilion that will keep for 15 years or more.
Barrel Sample: 91-93+
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.