Bordeaux 2018: Just in time for Lynch

Pauillac ‘flying fifth’ Lynch-Bages is this morning’s headline en primeur release, following on from Troplong Mondot’s offer yesterday.

The 2018 vintage of Lynch is being offered at £1,068 per dozen following a release price of €90 per bottle ex-négociant, which was 20% up on the 2017 opening price.

The wine has received a lot of critical praise, with James Suckling (97-98) and Lisa Perrotti-Bown MW (96-98) giving it a score which matches and may potentially exceed Neal Martin’s appraisal of the 2016 wine (97 points).

Antonio Galloni was, as he often has been, less high-scoring (93-96) but his praise was effusive, calling the 2018 a “classic” Lynch-Bages with “huge tannins and equally huge fruit”.

The 2018 sits at a 5% discount to the current price of the 2016 and while there are some back vintages that are quite a bit cheaper, there are none that potentially match the heights of this latest release in terms of critical approval.

Another wine with a release met with quite a bit of approval was Troplong Mondot, out at €74 a bottle so £918 per case.

Scores for the wine were good but quite varied. Suckling was all in, 97-98 spread, saying the wine “set a new standard for Troplong Mondot”.

Galloni thought it “remarkable” and “simply breathtaking” but his bracket was 94-97, while Perrotti-Brown said it was “wonderfully fresh” with fruit and herbal characters that gave it “beautiful electric sparks” yet scored it 93-95+.

On Liv-ex’s ‘fair value’ metrics therefore, Galloni and Perrotti-Brown’s scores perhaps don’t make it look quite so appealing though Suckling’s does.

There are a few back vintages such as the 2008 and 2012 and perhaps the 2014 which look favourable in comparison.

The 2018 is 37% below the current market price of the 2016 however and at its upper end potentially a ‘better’ wine.

Wine Lister thought it “one of the most reasonable releases of the campaign so far”, especially given its rising star quality and the guiding hand of Cos d’Estournel’s former director, Aymeric de Gironde, now in charge.

Also released this morning and yesterday were (all prices per bottle ex-négoce):

• Léoville Poyferré – €66
• Lascombes – €54
• D’Issan – €45.60
• Canon Gaffeliere – €62.40
• Clos Fourtet – €81.60
• Giscours – €44.40