Echo de Lynch Bages 2015

Château Lynch Bages is one of the most well-known estates in all of Bordeaux.  The name of this illustrious 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 quite possibly one of the most active brand ambassadors of all time. This charming, charismatic man dedicated his life to a crusade promoting this Fifth Growth Pauillac estate, ensuring everybody knew about the greatness of Château Lynch Bages. He even agreed to send a half bottle of Château Lynch Bages to the moon in 1985, making sure it was the first wine in outer space.  Echo de Lynch Bages is the property’s second wine, and it has the same impressive versatility of its older brother, the grand vin. Château Lynch Bages derives part of its name from the ancient village of Bages which was a commune for winemakers of many generations.  It 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-Estéphe.  He bought Château Lynch Bages shortly before World War II and the property has stated within the Cazes family ever since. 

Echo de Lynch Bages was initially called, Château Haut-Bages Averous, after the former Pauillac estate that Andre Cazes acquired in 1976.  The wine would be the estate’s second wine.  It was renamed Echo de Lynch Bages in 2008 after the legendary Greek myth of the wood nymph Echo, who was deprived of speech by the goddess Hera as punishment for distracting her when Zeus wanted to consort with mortals.  The team at Lynch Bages chose the name Echo de Lynch Bages because it is not the first wine to speak, but it shares the elegance and character of the grand vin. The vines used for Echo de Lynch Bages are cultivated the same as the vines that go into the grand vin. The vinification process is the same and the slightly younger vines are vinified in a 100% gravity flow facility, with impressive 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 full potential.  Château Lynch-Bages also produces a gorgeous white wine, Blanc de Lynch Bages, that is said to be one of the finest white wines in all of Graves.

Echo de Lynch Bages can be enjoyed young but continue to unfold beautifully with time.  The vintages have continued to dazzle and impress with their deep color, tannic structure, fruitiness, controlled concentration and impressive sophistication.  It is accessible and friendly, but also possess the dignity of the finest Pauillacs.

"The 2015 Echo de Lynch Bages is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot, matured in one-year-old barrels. It has a fragrant, finely tuned bouquet of blackberry, pencil lead and a touch of citrus fruit - scents that gently unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin, the acidity well judged, gentle in the mouth, but building in fruit intensity to a pleasurable graphite-tinged finish. One of those deuxième vins where more is less. This is a well-crafted Echo...echo...echo..." Neal Martin, Vinous (April 2016) Rating: 89-91, Drink: 2019-2032

"One of the second wines in this line up that challenges some of the main estate bottlings. It doesn't live up to the quality of the Echo in 2016, particularly in terms of its persistency, but it has silky tannins, dark fruits and good freshness. It is tight right now but shouldn't need more than another two or three years before being ready to drink. One-third malolactic fermentation in vat, two-thirds in oak, but no new oak was used. There’s a lot to enjoy here." Jane Anson, Bordeaux (November 13 ,2018) Ratings: 90, Drink: 2020-2034