2022 Echo de Lynch-Bages (Pauillac)

Revealing aromas of cassis, licorice, pipe tobacco and loamy soil, the 2022 Echo de Lynch-Bages is medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a deep core of fruit and plenty of chewy tannin. It shares much of the style of the grand vin this year, and it`s one second wine that will reward a bit of patience. 89-91 points

A serious Echo that gives a good entry into the main wine. There are a ton of tannins here, and it has the inky, slate, crushed rock character of Pauillac. Carefully-extracted cassis and bilberry fruit, this is measured, one to look out for, needs a few years to relax. 3.69ph, 10% new oak. 92 points

The 2022 Echo de Lynch Bages is a powerhouse. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice, leather, dark chocolate, licorice and incense saturate the palate with notable richness. This is one of the most opulent, flamboyant Echos I can remember tasting. It will be interesting to see if some of the brooding intensity softens over time. 91-93 points

The 2022 Echo de Lynch Bages, aged for 14 months in one-year-old oak, has a slightly timid nose at first. Very pure blueberry and cassis fruit emerge with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine acidity, quite compact on the mid-palate with a touch of pencil lead toward the finish. This is a fine, quite sturdy Deuxieme Vin that will need 4-5 years. 90-92 points