I tasted the 1982 Lynch-Bages twice within a month, both at a private dinner in London and at the château, from bottle and double-magnum on separate occasions. Both vindicate an exceptionally fine 1982, perhaps a bit overlooked in a vintage full of stars. Curiously, the bottle in Bordeaux does not fully deliver the mesmerizing freshness and energy compared to the bottle in London: pencil-lead-tinged black fruit intermixed with clove and freshly-rolled tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, perhaps just a little austere compared to its peers. Yet, indeed, the bottle in London exudes class and composure with a detailed, mineral-driven vintage belying that year's unseasonably warm period. Superb. Tasted both in London at a private dinner and at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2023) — 3 years ago
Very floral, perfumed, ethereal - a captivating bouquet. The palate is equally delicate, unmistakably Syrah and quite different to what one might expect from the northern Rhône.
The wine struggles to hold up to lamb, so I think would be best suited to hearty vegetable dishes - roasted root veg and mushrooms, perhaps.
Hard to know whether this is just a little young - if some savoury notes develop with age this could transform into a quite brilliant Syrah. — 5 years ago
Love this wine and the winery... Rutherford Dust kind of girl — 7 years ago
50% off wine night at Rare Steakhouse.
Dark and deep ruby red. Dark and rich nose coated in cinnamon, spices, dark berries, blueberries, some truffles, dust and dark plums. Medium plus tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Perfumed palate with dark spices, creme de cassis, plums, black fruits and incense. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2038. — 7 years ago
Deep ruby color with purple highlights. Aromas of black fruit, iron and wet soil. Flavors of blackberry, black plum, dark chocolate and baking spices. Noticeable “Rutherford Dust” on the long, earthy and savory finish. Soft tannins. Alcohol and acidity are quite abundant and noticeable. Lower (more Medium) bodied then I expected. Well balanced and quite interesting. — 6 months ago
Revisiting a special wine - Rutherford dust and complexity in a glass! — 3 years ago
I was not supposed to open it tonight but the cork fell in the bottle while I was reorganizing my wine cellar and manipulating bottles. Mixed feelings here: disappointed and sad to open a 51 year old bottle but excited to taste.
The nose shows mostly tertiary aromas first with wet forest soil, mushrooms, then some secondary like smoke, mocha, cocoa. There is not much fruit left.
The palate is still very well made yet clearly past its prime. A strong acid backbone that makes it very long, some silky notes all around and a tiny touch of black currant, adding a touch of tanginess, there are still some tannins in the rear, leaving a layer of dust before a long tangy finish with black currant and a cocoa note. It's probably way past its peak, but it's still alive and I feel privileged to be able to drink this tonight. 90 for the experience and what this wine represents. — 4 years ago


Beautiful, heavy winter cab. 2017 already drinking well. — 6 years ago
Old school Napa Cabernet showing place and wine maker. Delicious fruit with integrated tannins. Quintessential Rutherford dust, eucalyptus with the wind and floral characters under a calm hand. Big, bold, fruit characteristics, yet a refined finish from a steady hand. Shows the trademark of Chuck all the way through. — 7 years ago
1961 vintage. Ahoy there! Lower neck fill. Durand employed. Opened (not decanted) with plenty of cork splintering/crumbles despite the Durand and meticulous/slow movements. Cork stayed intact but just barely and about 80% saturated. Extensive (3-4 minutes) cleaning of the bottle lip and inch-deep, upper neck to remove fused cork residue. Tasted 45 mins, 2 hours, 4 hours and 6 hours after opening. Heavier body than expected given the producer. A bit of a slap in the face as it rolled in as medium/medium-heavy body which is hilarious. Nose initially a mysterious, century+ sitting room with plenty of decay, dust and past. Things shifted to soy/teriyaki sauce fairly shortly after with a little 5-10 minute fried chicken nose that vanished. Various (dark/semi-sweet) chocolates and cherry reduction sauce eventually emerged. A paced, harmonious narrative stayed constant throughout. Gorgeous experience. Didn't exactly diminish my impressions of H-B being the best first growth in BDX. It's generally the lightest and least-flashy. 1.23.26. — 6 months ago

Always a really nice wine at a great price. — 4 years ago
Grapes sourced from Howell Mountain Estate and Rutherford Dust Estate vineyards, aged in French oak, 60% new. Deep Ruby, with rich and complex aromas, full of berry, currant, spice and cedar notes. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of pepper, smoke and earthy herbs. Soft smooth tannins, long finish ending with a fruit and smoky cedar character. Good now and has room to age. — 4 years ago
The Rutherford dust — 5 years ago
Probably a 97 a maturity. Solid 94 today. WOW this wine is young. Nose is reminiscent of a young Malbec. Of course, the Rutherford red blend is always heavy on the Malbec (historically 10 to 15 %) , although the percentage breakdown is not listed on this vintage. Has almost a meaty sort of a nose. Entry is youthful fruit that seems to have ripened just yesterday. Still very astringent black cherry and a little bit of baking spice to the middle. Finishes with a softer texture than expected, but also with some pretty stiff Young Oak tannin. This one definitely did better with dinner to cut through the tannin which made the finish a little more present and that hint of Rutherford dust stick out! But, with this one needs more than anything is about 5 years in the bottle to figure itself out. Looking forward to big things! — 7 years ago
Carl Gromley
Nice Malbec blend hints of chocolate — 4 hours ago