Chateau Lynch-Bages Pauillac 1996 (6 bottles) @ $1,780/bottle

**Since its shipment from Bordeaux in 2001, this wine has been professionally stored at Octavian Vaults, widely regarded as one of the finest wine cellars in the world.**

The 1996 Lynch Bages has a delightful fresh, minty bouquet that does not quite deliver the complexity of recent vintages, nicely perfumed with hints of wilted rose petal developing with time. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity, fresh from the start with blackcurrant pastilles, a touch of tobacco with a tightly coiled, minerally, slightly sharp finish that perhaps just needs a little more depth. I appreciate that lingering pencil lead note on the aftertaste, completing a solid if unspectacular Lynch Bages. It's the kind of Pauillac I would grab from a restaurant list at the right price. A point. Tasted July 2016. RP 91