1983 Ch Lynch-Bages @ Wild Rocket

Vic finally made good his promise to buy his illegitimate sister dinner, and so we met over a 6-course set dinner at Wild Rocket. However, the portions threatened to rival those served at Les Artistes Bistrot, such that we had to add another half portion of pasta each.

We began with a 2006 Gaja Alteni Di Brassica that Vic had carried back from Italy. Very pale, but the bouquet was lovely – very fresh, floral, creamy and buttery, laced with a tinge of sweetness. It had a nice zesty zing on the palate without being over-exuberant,  remaining well-balanced with understated acidity, the sauvignon blanc producing a complex body of lime, minerals, melons and lemongrass, ending wth traces of longans and pomelo, all contained within a body of excellent depth and concentration. Supremely effortless compared to its usual counterparts from New Zealand. Quite outstanding.

Great wines are meant to be shared with great company, and I definitely had no hesitation in offering a 1983 Ch Lynch-Bages, purchasd last month from Bob Rees of WEA who, in turn, had sourced it from a collection in California. The capsule definitely appeared worn, the ullage sat at high shoulder and the wine was a dusty red. But I needn’t have worried. The bouquet was unmistakably that of a beautiful mature Pauillac, offering an abundance of cedar, dried herbs, tobacco snuff, a touch of cinnamon and, of course, that note of pencil shavings with an afternote of licorice. Medium-full, soft, rounded, absolutely harmonious with infinite complexity, the glorious fruit still tasting very fresh, gripping the palate right to its savoury finish. It reminded me very much of the 1988 Pichon Lalande, for these wonderful Pauillac wines, when fully matured, are simply irresistible. Superb!! In return, I have been promised an ’89 Lynch-Bages at The White Rabbit at Dempsey over wagyu beef in the near future. I can’t wait.