Blanc de Lynch Bages 2018

Château Lynch Bages is one of the most well-known estates in all of Bordeaux.  The name of this property is so ubiquitous that it is recognizable even for Bordeaux novices who are just beginning to learn about the Classified Growths in the Médoc.  This is due to the tireless exploits of Jean-Michel Cazes, who was one of the most active brand ambassadors of all time. This charismatic man dedicated his life to a crusade promoting this excellent Fifth Growth Pauillac estate, ensuring everybody knew about the greatness of Château Lynch-Bages. Jean-Michel Cazes even agreed to send a half bottle of Château Lynch Bages to the moon in 1985, making it the first wine in outer space.  Marketing and fanfare aside, Château Lynch Bages excels in producing both red and white grand vin.  The wine, Blanc de Lynch Bages is considered to be one of the finest white wines in all of Graves.
 
Château Lynch Bages derives part of its name from the ancient village of Bages which was a commune for winemakers of many generations.  In 1862, the property was sold to the Cayrou brothers who named it after Thomas Lynch, the patriarch of the original family that owned the estate.  Château Lynch Bages was classified as a Fifth Growth in 1855, and less than a hundred years later was acquired by the legendary Jean-Michel Cazes.  Jean-Michel Cazes was already very well respected in the Wine Trade due to his ownership of Les Ormes de Pez, a leading Cru Bourgeoise estate located in St-Estèphe.  He bought Château Lynch Bages shortly before World War II and the property has stayed within the Cazes family ever since.  
 
The vineyards were expanded to 100-hectares in the late 1990s and Jean Michel Cazes made sure everything was modernized at Château Lynch Bages.  Blanc de Lynch Bages is made with a mixture of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle that thrive in the beautifully graveled soils of Saint-Sauveur.  The varietals are then harvested from a mixture of eight separate plots.  The climate is much cooler, lending a freshness to the grapes prior to vinification.  The key to producing such an elegant white wine is a gentle vinification process.  With the latest technology in the vat room, the viticultural team uses gentle extractions to create an aromatic and lively expression of white Bordeaux. 
 
As recently as 2017, a massive renovation and modernization of the winery’s technical facilities took place.  The project was headed by Chien Chung Pei and Li Chung Pei, sons of the famous architect who designed the glass pyramid for the Louvre in Paris.  The wine cellar is a 100% gravity flow facility, with vat rooms that house 80 stainless steel vats in various sizes for parcel-by-parcel vinification.  Château Lynch Bages is one of the most cutting-edge estates in terms of wine technology, using satellite imaging to survey the vineyard and conducting soil surveys to ensure the vines reach their potential. 
 
Blanc de Lynch Bages is a simply gorgeous wine.  One can expect crystalline aromas of citrus, stone fruit, and a delicate kiss of oak.

"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." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/23/2019, Bordeaxu 2018 Issue), Rating: 90-92