Echo de Lynch Bages Pauillac 2016

About

he wine of Château Lynch-Bages is part of the lineage of the great Pauillac wines. Blended mostly from Cabernet Sauvignon, it combines structure and finesse, elegance and longevity. It is further distinguished by its opulence. Generous right from its youth, it develops more flavours and greater complexity as it matures.

The affirmation of the Lynch-Bages style came with the arrival of Jean-Charles Cazes to head the estate in 1934. An innovative winemaker, emblematic of a new generation of owners willing to break with tradition and taking risks to ensure truly ripe harvests, he was known for often being the last to harvest in Pauillac. From 1945 onwards, the fame of the château emerged thanks to a series of great vintages. Some, despite being considered difficult to grow in Bordeaux, are particularly successful at Lynch-Bages. His wines are characterized by their deep colour, their tannic structure, their controlled concentration and elegant sensuality. The vintages vinified by André Cazes, and after him Jean-Michel Cazes, confirm this trend.

Château Haut-Bages Averous is the name of a former Pauillac property, once purchased by André Cazes. This name has long designated the second wine of Château Lynch-Bages, the result of a determined selection for the first time during the harvest of 1976 and continued every year since then. As of the 2008 vintage, Château Haut-Bages Averous changed its name. To better assert its lineage with the estate, it became “Echo de Lynch-Bages”. Greek mythology tells us that Zeus, when he wanted to dally with some pretty mortal girl, would entrust Echo with the task of diverting his wife Hera’s attention with idle chatter. Discovering the secret game, Hera punished Echo by condemning her to never again be the first to speak and to ceaselessly repeat the last words she would hear…. Developed as an echo of the First Wine and enjoying the same attentive care from the vine to the storehouse, “Echo de Lynch-Bages” fits seamlessly in the line of its older brother: like him he has the flavour, aroma and finish characteristic of the wines of Pauillac. It is similarly marked by its roundness and suppleness, thus requiring less storage time in the bottle. Just like the nymph whose name he now bears, he never talks first but combines charm, elegance and seductive power. Representing 25 to 40% of the harvest depending on the vintages, “Echo” is chiefly made from the property’s youngest vines. Its final blend often differs from that of Lynch-Bages by a slightly higher proportion of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It is characterised by its soft tannins, a light and smooth oakiness, a silky texture in the mouth and a nice complexity.

Echo de Lynch Bages Pauillac 2016 accounts for 25% of overall production, and even here we are at a tannin index of 85IPT. But the freshness is undeniable, with a pH of 3.55 giving beautiful violet reflections on the colour. On the palate, there are softer brambly fruits than in the grand vin. 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot.