Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux 2010

Although there are records of the Bages territory as far back as the 16th century, the history of wine production in the area really began in the 18th century. From 1749 to 1824, the vineyard was owned by Thomas Lynch, the son of an Irishman from Galway who worked as a merchant in Bordeaux. Thomas Lynch managed the land wisely and produced high quality wines under the name of ''Cru de Lynch''. As part of the prestigious 1855 Classification, for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, his wine would soon be classified as one of the fifth growths.

Later on, Jean ''Lou Janou'' Cazes, a ''Montagnol'' (a term used to describe farmers from the austere upper valleys of Ariège), came to the Médoc to earn a living. In the 1930's, General Félix de Vial, a descendant of the Cayrou family, leased the vineyard to Jean-Charles Cazes, the son of ''Lou Janou'' and a farmer at Château Ormes de Pez in Saint-Estèphe. Cazes went on to purchase both properties in the wake of World War II. Lynch-Bages has been run by the Cazes family ever since.

The structuring of the vineyards has undergone remarkable improvements since 2006 with the use of satellite technology combined with surveys on soil quality. This improved attention ensures the preservation of Lynch-Bages' genetic winemaking heritage and has allowed us to establish a precise mapping and re-structuring of vine parcels in order to preserve, enhance and develop the specific nature of each terroir.

The first and second wines from Lynch-Bages are drawn off into split stave-wood oak barrels with optimum aromatic capacity, made by reputed barrel-makers, before being aged in our cellars. Before being enjoyed, they are required to rest for a period of time in order to soften out and fully integrate the aromas imparted from the oak. The winemaker's skilled craft involves regular racking and fining for harmonisation before the wines are bottled at the château and aged.