Is 1996 LB at its peak?

[Chateau Vin]

Has anyone had 1996 LB lately? I am sure it's at its peak, but is it on the downhill? Planning to open one this weekend for a visiting friend...

[DavidG]

Not sure which one you meant, but '96 Lynch Bages is still improving IMO. Last had the '96 Leoville Barton a little over 2 years ago and thought it was still improving then. Then again, I do like 'em old.

[JimHow]

Yes, CV, if you are referring to Lynch Bages, I'd hold for another five years. I have a case at the bottom of an eight case pile.

[stefan]

CV, that is the way the BD avoids drinking his Lynch too young. When they are accessible, he grabs.

[JimHow]

You think that's funny, stefan, but that is like sadly my practice.
I have 3 bottles of 2000 LB left because it was on the rack rather than in a case.
I have 12 bottles of 96 LB left because it is in a wood case at the bottom of an 8 case stack.
as I've always said: My OCD is one of my biggest strengths, and it is one of my biggest weaknesses.

[Chateau Vin]

Sorry, I meant Lynch Bages. Thanks gurus for the feedback. I will hold the 96 Lynch for a while. May be I will try 86 Montrose instead...What's the scoop on the status of 96 Calon Segur?

[stefan]

Yeah, Jim, I share the problem. But worse than drinking a wine too young is holding it and finding out that the bottle is flawed. Tonight we had a corked '95 D'Angerville Volnay Taillapieds. Two days ago a corked '99 Arnoux NSG Proces. On Sunday a nasty, bretty, '98 Beausejour-Becot. What a bad run...

[Chasse-Spleen]

I think corked bottles come in bunches. The worst for me was bringing two bottles to a BYOB restaurant with one non-wino friend and both bottles were badly corked.

[Chateau Vin]

Oh well, I opened a 96 Lynch Bages this weekend, and was a bit disappointed. Never had the 96 before, so I do not know how to benchmark it vis a vis its progress. Nice nose of cassis, and slight floral notes. Tannins were integrated and had decent mouthfeel. But it lacked a bit fruit and seemed slightly thin. It reminded me of stefan's TN on 1996 Pichon...

Since this is my first ever 96 Lynch, and probably it might be this particular bottle that I recently got from the store. But I would reserve my final judgement after I hear from the Lynch gurus on this forum, who might have had this bottle earlier and whose provenance might be better...May be Jim, you need to crack open the box and render your opinion on its evolvement...(And put the box back way below other boxes...)

[DavidG]

Jim, sounds to me like your subjects are petitioning you to open and report on a '96 Lynch. I think it's your duty as Benevolent Dictator.

[JimHow]

Oh man that would be painful. Not just because it is at the bottom of an 8 case pile, but because it would mean they would all be drunk within 3 months. Your experience with the 96 Lynch sounds strange, CV, that has been a consistently aromatic and expessive wine. I rate it second only to the 89 Lynch (the greatest Bordeaux wine since '61) among the pantheon of Lynch Bages wines.

[JCNorthway]

Jim, did we drink the 96 Lynch in Chicago in 2010 at Stuart's Thursday evening dinner? I seem to recall having it either that night or at the official BWE dinner on Saturday night. Whatever wine I am recalling was a very aromatic, and a big but well balanced wine.

[JimHow]

Good question Jon, I know we had the 89 Lynch that night, I think we may have had the 96 as well. The 96 has always had a tremendous bouquet. I remember that night on the old board when I uncorked half bottles of the 89 and 96, the bouquets filled the whole room, and the 96 went toe to toe with the 89.

[Chateau Vin]

It did have pleasant bouquet, but not to the level that is being described...May be it's just the bottle that was opened...

[DavidG]

Oh man that would be painful. Not just because it is at the bottom of an 8 case pile, but because it would mean they would all be drunk within 3 months. Your experience with the 96 Lynch sounds strange, CV, that has been a consistently aromatic and expessive wine. I rate it second only to the 89 Lynch (the greatest Bordeaux wine since '61) among the pantheon of Lynch Bages wines.

That's right - you tend to drink through a case pretty quickly once it's open. Is that because you really get interested in the some or because it's more accessible than the ones on the bottom of the pile? If the latter, you should seriously consider putting in some racking and get a whole bunch of your wines out of their cases. That way you could drink a wider variety of what's in the cellar, leaving some to age and getting a feel for how they develop over time. See I'm still trying to convert you to cellaring longer.

[JimHow]

My racks accommodate 1,000 bottles. It is purely a mental disorder.
I have about 500 bottles in cases and 900 on the racks. If I crack open a case I can't stop.

[DavidG]

There are worse mental disorders...

[JimHow]

My life is like Pavie. Unbalanced, but all in.

[Mrwinecabinet]

Slightly off topic, but I drank '66 Lynch Bages recently. Strangely it was bottled by Ridge in California as noted on a seperate label on the bottle, but was otherwise indistinguishable to the usual Lynch bottle. It was a bit of fun to drink, but had quite a bit of unwelcome motor oil tones.I'm glad I only had the one.

[dstgolf]

Jon,

Your memory is good for the wine but not the date. We were not in Chicago in 2010 but we were in 2008. An unbelievably generous Latour-LB night at Custom House (I believe which has just closed its doors)in the company of Stuart&Kathy,JimH,David G,Myself&Danielle along with you and your wife. Amazing wine lineup with the 96 LB holding its own with the likes of the 2000,89 LB and a lineup of Latour that was breathtaking. I believe the 59!!! was the hilight of the night crushing the LB and again pleasing my wife with her birth wine! A truly memorable night but a little further back in time that 2010. Amazing how time flies and these wonderful evennings seem timeless in our minds!!

Danny

[JimHow]

Interesting, Danny, I think we were indeed in Chicago in 2010.

I'm just going from memory, but I think this is the list of locations of BWE conventions.

I could be wrong though!

2013: Dallas
2012: DC
2011: SF
2010: Chicago
2009: DC
2008: Miami
2007: DC
2006: Sonoma
2005: France
2004: Chicago
2003: NYC
2002: Napa
2001: Chicago

[Jay Winton]

I'm still hungover from 2003

[dstgolf]

Jim,

It sure seems longer back than that. It feels that I haven't seen Rick and Kathy along with the rest of the BWE'ers for more than 2 years!! You're the BD and looking at the dates I thought there was another Chicago stuck between 04 and 2010. Oh well second time I've been wrong in my life!

Danny

PS What's up with visiting the Great White North??

[JimHow]

No we were definitely in Chicago in 2010 Danny.
I need to renew my passport, it has expired!