• The wine has been released internationally for £1,040 (12×75).
  • “This is a great Lynch-Bages,” said Neal Martin.
  • The 2019 looks compelling by comparison.

Château Lynch-Bages 2020 has been released En Primeur for €90 per bottle ex-négociant, up 36.4% on the 2019’s opening price.

The wine is being offered for £1,040 per case by the international trade. This is an increase of 15.5% on the current Market Price of the 2019.

The new release looks fully priced but has one of the better Benchmark Critic scores of recent vintages. See more Fair Value analysis below.

Critical Opinion

Benchmark Critic Neal Martin (Vinous) scored the wine 94-96, noting its higher-than-usual Merlot component (31%). It was a wine with “impressive weight,” he said. “But everything remains balanced thanks to the fine acidic thread, and it begins to firm up, becoming quite structured and, dare I say, reminiscent of Latour toward the finish.”

This is a vintage that will deserve some long-term ageing, he added, as it has “real substance”. He concluded: “This is a great Lynch-Bages. The Cazes family should build a new winery to celebrate.”

“This is easily one of the best Pauillacs that I have tasted in the vintage, totally gorgeous,” said Jane Anson, awarding it 96-points.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW scored it 94-96 and Antonio Galloni 93-95.

Fair Value

The 2020 has been released at the same price as the initial offer for the 2018. The 2020 has a stronger score from Neal Martin and is available at a 4% discount.

The next vintage with the same score as the 2020 is the 2010, which at £1,400 per case is 25% more expensive than today’s release.

The 2019, however, is 15% cheaper and has a slightly stronger bracket from Martin of 95-97.

Other back vintages that look compelling value at present include the 201720142012 and 2011.