2018 Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bottle (750ml)

JD98+ "One of the finest vintages I've ever tasted from this address, the 2018 Château Lynch-Bages has everything you look for in a great wine: incredible aromatics, richness without weight, perfect balance, and a purity of fruit that's just about off the charts. Dense purple, it reveals a glorious perfume of blackcurrants and blackberry fruits, a deep, unctuous mouthfeel, building tannins, and a complex array of cedar pencil, tobacco, wood smoke, and chocolate. A true blockbuster in every sense, with masses of fruit and tannins as well as moderate acidity, it will probably merit a triple-digit score in a decade and is a 50+-year wine from this team."

LP97 The 2018 Lynch-Bages is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of swirling before classic notes of cassis, cedar chest, and warm plums emerge, leading to nuances of violets, star anise, unsmoked cigars, cardamom, and wood smoke. Full-bodied, dense, muscular and built like a brick house, it has a rock-solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long with lots of mineral sparks. Needs a good five years, then stand back when you open the bottle and enjoy the fireworks!