Anticipation... JoelD's uncorking of '89 Chateau Lynch Bages

[JimHow]

You are a fine young BWE soldier, Joel, we look forward to your reports as we approach the moment of the uncorking of the ultimate of Bordeaux wines, this fine northern Medoc, this earth of Majesty, this seat of Mars, this other Eden, demi-paradise, this Medoc, this Pauillac... this 1989 Chateau Lynch Bages....

[DavidG]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwP3wes4M8

[JimHow]

Ha, you're reading my mind, David, was gonna post the exact same video.
Looks like Martha'a Vineyard....

[tim]

I did warn him that he was about to open the BWE holy grail...

[Nicklasss]

JoelD, you need a Maine whoopy pie with it, for the full experience.

Nic

[JoelD]

Go for my usual late night refresh of the forum, and get rewarded with a good chuckle finding this post. Good work Jim. I hope the LB lives up over some take out steaks with my buddy mark. Bringing my second bottle as well, just in case its corked or anything.. but if not.. that second bottle could pair well with Petrus, Maine lobstah, and Maine whoopy pie.

Just shamelessly saying

Out of curiosity, what is your guys 2nd favorite Lynch Bages thus far? I must say, that 2000 that Marcus brought to BWE 20th was quite tasty. Just barted for a bottle with a friend actually.

[Comte Flaneur]

This wine without doubt is the Holy Grail of BWE.

My second favourite Lynch is the 1982. It is variable but when it is on form it is astonishing. Tim brought one to London a couple of years ago which was singing. A sentimental favourite of mine is the 1985, but I like equally the 1986 tried last year and the 1988. I am less keen on the 1990.

Of course the 2016 is extraordinary - pretty close to the two Pichons.

[Racer Chris]

I've only had Lynch Bages one time, at an offline dinner in Hartford in June 2017. Someone brought the 2000 and I brought a bottle of 2005 Ch. Bellevue (St Emilion GC).
I thought the LB was wotn, with the Bellevue coming in second. Both were outstanding that night.

[JimHow]

The Lynches of the ‘80s are pretty epic, like a lot of Bordeaux.
The 2000 is up there for me, as well as the ‘82.
I’m a big fan of the 1988 Lynch.

[tim]

Digging into some of my photos, this is the magnum of the 1985 Lynch Bages that JM opened for us at our lunch in 2005.

1985 Lynch.JPG (218.72 KiB) Viewed 1687 times

[stefan]

I think Lynch-Bages excelled in both 1983 and 1988. Both are still going strong, while the great 1989 should be blanquitoed.

[DavidG]

The 82 Lynch is awesome. I've had awesome and merely excellent bottles of the 90. The 88 is a sleeper. Beat the 90 in a blind vertical many years ago.

I agree with Stefan that pristine bottles of the 89 will benefit from more time.

[JimHow]

There's some variability in the 1989s.
80-90% of them are spectacular.

[jckba]

For me, I much prefer the expressiveness of the 82, 83 and 85 for current drinking to the beast mode 89 which is a wine where I have more times than not felt the last glass to be the best, so my advice would be to decant it. And I happen to quite like the 96 as well.

An evening of mostly 1980’s Lynch Bages blind

9A95E0BA-8040-4CC3-B4F0-CFB56CFE16A1.jpeg (108.42 KiB) Viewed 1648 times

[JimHow]

Yes without any question the ‘89 Lynch is a wine that requires a lot of oxygen. It is a wine that sneaks up on you over the course of a dinner. I remember that infamous ‘89 Tom served up blind at his house against the ‘88 VCC, Jon from Seattle and I revisited it a little later in the evening and it was smoking.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

The 2000 Lynch was part of the holy trinity (including 1999 Margaux and 1995(?) Cheval Blanc) at a JimHow dinner which included 1996 Lafite and 1998(?) Lafleur-Petrus and a few other bigs. So yeah, it's good.

[JCNorthway]

I was fortunate to get 6 of the 1988 Lynch Bages back in the early 2000s. But they were so good that the last one was gone by 2010. Wish I would have had more.

[Musigny 151]

When the 1985 is good, it is magnificent. But I have had a lot of bottles with a serious bell pepper problem.
My #2 behind the 1989 would be 2005.

[JoelD]

This is great, Definitely going to keep a lookout for 83,85,88. And I can't wait to try 05 at some point soon, although I wonder if it is ready to go, as so many 05's just don't seem to be yet..

Speaking of favorite vintages of wines we love, how about Haut Bailly? What are some favorite vintages there?

I am a big fan thus far and would like to look for some older and/or underrated vintages. Hopefully picking up some 2000 soon. I have really enjoyed 04/06. Will pop an 05 in the near future as well. Loading up on some 14/15/16 on top of that.

[DavidG]

Haut Bailly is one of those properties that got modernization just right for my palate. Ripe fruit combines with that smoky, gravelly stuff I love from the region. The 2005, 2009, and 2010 are all excellent and all are still young. I put away a few 2015 and 2016 but may not be around to enjoy them when they peak.

[JoelD]

Its been done! 1st 1989 Lynch Bages in the bag.

Started out a little rocky, bottom of the cork broke off even with a durand. We were able to get it out without any cork falling in though.
After 31 years in the bottle, the wine came out a little disjointed, having contradictory nose of both a little fruit and something a little musty. However after 15-20 in glass it blew off and started to integrate. Also started off with a short finish, but that came around. A lot of fruit for an 89, and it was great. The complexity of the taste wine is what I liked the most. Then around the 2hr mark, the nose came around and gave all sorts of amazing aromas. Sadly when the nose came around, the taste started to fade a bit.

All in all, happy with this wine. Came from a great cellar, great fill. 94-95 pts on this night. Would be a 96-97 if the nose and taste all came around at the same time.

Just based off of this bottle, I preferred a few wines from BWE 2020. Such as 1990 Ausone and 1990 Pichon Baron. Also I loved the freshness of the 2000 Lynch Bages. I think i may have preferred this bottle a few years ago. As I am not sure it is still on the upswing as some of you feel. I would say just tipped past its absolute peak if I had to venture a guess. My other bottle may have to help me decide.

[JimHow]

Sorry to hear about your experience, Joel, the 1989 Lynch Bages are usually like a 4 hour event for me with a lot of decanting and air, as it evolves pretty dramatically from beginning to end.

[JoelD]

Sorry to hear about your experience, Joel, the 1989 Lynch Bages are usually like a 4 hour event for me with a lot of decanting and air, as it evolves pretty dramatically from beginning to end.

Not much to be sorry about, we enjoyed it for around 4 hours too. It was in my top 3-5 Bordeaux drunk this year for sure. Very good, bordering great, just didn't come together all at the same time the way it could have

[JimHow]

This is a wine that runs upwards of $400 all in when you buy it at auction, when it is on it is a mind-blowing Pauillac.

[DavidG]

Joel, it sounds like you got a good bottle and an opportunity to see what a great wine 89 Lynch can be. Not every bottle can be the best ever. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the report.

[JimHow]

Oh I'm glad you had a nice 94 point Pauillac experience, Joel, I'm just sorry you didn't have the 100+ mindblowing experience that is the '89 Lynch when it is on all cylinders.

[Gerry M.]

I bought a case at auction 3 years ago for $280 a bottle all in. I've had 3 so far and 2 of were incredible while the 3rd was still very good. My initial bottle I had to decant 6 hours to really strut its stuff. My last was 4-5 hours. It's still really a baby. I wouldn't even guess what its longevity is but it will surely outlive me.

[JimHow]

Indeed, there is some level of variability in this wine.
I would say about 80% of them have been in that 99-100 point range for me, while the other 20% have been in that 94 point range that Joel experienced.
It is a 100 year wine.

[JoelD]

Oh I'm glad you had a nice 94 point Pauillac experience, Joel, I'm just sorry you didn't have the 100+ mindblowing experience that is the '89 Lynch when it is on all cylinders.

Well in all fairness, I have been a bit stingy with my ratings thus far. The best bottles at BWE 2020 got a 95-96. But you are right, I sensed this one had more to offer. Either a different time or different bottle, or possibly a decant instead of slow ox.

6 hour decant on an 89 bordeaux sounds like so much.. but one of these days I may give that a shot Gerry