Château Lynch-Moussas 2005, Pauillac 5th
Deep ruby, tight rim. Can age for another 3 years. Blackcurrant primary and backbone, with blackberry undertones. Fruit is still fresh and round. On palate, it fills, and is strong and robust. With good acidity, enough complexity and intensity, it is light on length of finish but shows good typical earthy minerals with deep dark fruits on nose and aftertastes. Full decanting 30 minutes to appreciate round pastille fruit changing shades to include mint and dark chocolate on finish. Or just appreciate the change over 1 hour savouring over dinner. Drumming on a different tempo, this is a lighter style than its cousin Lynch Bages.
Having tasted the wine since its 1995 EP, Team however likes this wine because it is fruity, correct, straightforward, and gives no undue tension on palate. To cru drinkers, maybe it doesn't excite, but it doesn't disappoint either. Great value.
In VIvino, 17% of the tasting population(385) rated it 5-star and a whopping 60% almost 4-star. Popularity of the Lunch Moussas 2005 is very self-explanatory.
This domain dates to the 18th century, and as Lynch Bages, was originally owned by the famous Lynch family of Irish origins. The 57 hectare vineyard is planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. Lynch-Moussas is a member of the Union des Grands Crus.
This making style of Lynch Moussas 2005 allow expression of unity and variety of a Terroir composed with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot: debranching, deleafing, green harvests have been settled these last years to achieve a complete top maturity of high quality grapes, hence the ripe has ripe tannins and ripe dark fruit. The manual harvests allow the team to bring to the modern vat rooms perfectly sound berries. The last checking takes place on the sorting table; this way, only the very best grapes arrive in the vat. Hence there is body to the wine despite it 12 years of age. Fermentaiton is almost 20 days; 18 month in French oak(50% new), hence this wine gives lovely colour, ripe and abundant tannins, dark fruits and intense.
Scores are very consistent.
WINE SPECTATOR | 89-91
Gorgeous aromas of flowers, currants and hints of vanilla. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a fresh finish. Score range: 89-91
WINE ENTHUSIAST | 90
89-91 Barrel sample. Very firm and dry, perhaps missing the exuberant fruit of other Pauillacs. But it has good restraint that shows serious tannins and a firm, solid character.
