2004 Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, France 750ml

Ex-cellar bottle tasted blind at the Lynch Bages vertical. This has a noticeably clear, deep garnet colour. The nose is very clean and correct although it lacks a little complexity and flair: straightforward black fruits, cedar and pencil shavings. The medium-bodied palate shows a little hardness at first, but softens with aeration and soon adopts a more succulent texture with ripe black cherries, Doris plum and bilberry. Certainly this is a well balanced Pauillac packed full of ripe tannins with a crisp poised finish of black plum, cedar and cassis. Although it does not have the length of the 2005, nor indeed the 2006, it is a very confident, expressive wine for the vintage. (NM)