One of the greatest oversights of the 1855 classification, Château Lynch-Bages takes its revenge every year when numerous tasters find its vintages to be far superior to its ranking as a… Fifth Grand Cru Classé! Perched on the gravelly soils of the Bages plateau, overlooking the small village of Pauillac, the vines of Lynch-Bages produce very ripe Cabernets, recognizable by their deep, ink-black color. On the palate, the richness, opulence, and aromas of jammy black fruits are reminiscent of the best Californian wines. Ultimately, among the wines of Pauillac, Lynch-Bages remains a guarantee of power, quality, and, above all, pleasure.

Thomas Lynch, a citizen of Galway, Ireland, acquired the estate at the end of the 18th century and managed it until 1825, when the Cazes family took the helm of the château. The château’s wines were already widely appreciated by enthusiasts, but the transfer of power between Lynch and Cazes led to a momentary decline in quality, which earned it an "unfair" rating in the 1855 classification, where it nonetheless finished as a Fifth Growth.
The Cazes family, composed of talented winemakers who also own Château les Ormes de Pez in Saint-Estèphe, had to face a difficult challenge in the mid-1970s. Complicated vintages and attempts at new, poorly mastered winemaking techniques made the 1970s a rather dull decade for the château. Jean-Michel Cazes took over the estate in 1973, when he moved to Pauillac with his wife. In 1988, Jean-Michel acquired other properties, most notably Villa Bel-Air in the Graves region. He then created the company JM Cazes Sélection, with the mission of promoting his wines. In addition to being president of the Pauillac Winegrowers' Union, Jean-Michel also served as a director of the Conseil des Vins du Médoc. This great figure of Bordeaux viticulture is now passing the torch to his children.
Today
Jean-Michel Cazes' three children now work for the Jean-Michel Cazes company and continue the family's winemaking history, which is chronicled in the book *Lynch-Bages & Cie, une famille, un vin et 52 recettes*. For its part, Château Lynch-Bages continues to offer us wines of consistent quality. A powerful and full-bodied Cabernet, new oak to soften the robust tannins, and little (or no) filtration constitute the winning recipe for this now world-renowned cru.