Wife and I shared our annual wedding-anniversary bottle of Ch. Lynch Bages, 1989, last night. It, like our marriage, is 21 years old. Wine was purchased on release and stored in my 60-degree F cellar since.
Cork came out in two pieces, so not bad. Decanted 1 hr before drinking.
Color: Still very, very dark, although no longer black as it was for a decade and half. Some red/purple evident at the rim. Still very youthful in appearance. If I had not seen it black, I would say no evidence of aging.
Nose: Very prominent lead pencil. Cedar and violets. Backed by cassis-fruit. Very enticing.
Palate: Outstanding. Beautifully balanced, rich and mouthfilling. Opens with cedar. tea, tobacco, and a hint of fennel, followed shortly by a beam of cassis that was outstanding. Adds spice and earth later, rolling into a 2 min finish with waves of flavor.
Second best bottle so far.
Cheers, Marc