A Night with Château Lynch-Bages 1945. Savoring Eternity of Bordeaux wine history

Yesterday was a unique evening-one of the most difficult and challenging, but at the same time, bright and full of delight, joy, and happiness. One of the guests at the closed banquet requested to open a legendary bottle of Château Lynch-Bages 1945, a rare Bordeaux wine especially for him. Naturally, there was anticipation, excitement, and also some trepidation-not just on his part, but mine as well. After all, we both wondered about the quality of the wine within that ancient bottle. Would it live up to its legendary vintage wine status? Would it even be drinkable? These concerns are normal-you understand why...

As the sommelier, the responsibility weighed heavily on me. I was the one who told the story, recommended the wine, opened it, tested it, and poured it, especially with such an old Bordeaux wine where sediment is inevitable. The responsibility level was 10/10 on the "knowledge + experience" scale-yet this is part of the magic, the show that we, as "magicians" of the world of pleasure, must bring to life.

Château Lynch-Bages 1945 – a legendary Bordeaux vintage from Pauillac, celebrated for its rarity and exceptional quality. Experience a piece of winemaking history with this meticulously preserved bottle, embodying the triumph of Bordeaux's 1945 victory harvest.

The Art of Uncorking Bordeaux wine history. A Sommelier’s Dance with Time

I would like to take a moment to describe the intricate and delicate process of uncorking this bottle of Château Lynch-Bages 1945. Both the cork and foil had clearly been affected by time and various storage conditions, making every step feel like a calculated chess move-though in the work of a sommelier, it’s more akin to rapid chess. Each action has immediate consequences. The guest’s attention was fixed on me, while my colleagues (as they later confessed) were feeling cold sweats of anticipation.

I decided to clean the neck of the bottle with small, careful scraping movements, as the foil seemed to have fused with the glass over the years. Once the procedure was done, the cork itself was not immediately visible. In its place was a crumbling dark, earthy substance, disintegrating as I scraped it away millimeter by millimeter. Using the tip of my knife, I continued to gently remove the decayed cork particles, dabbing them away with a snow-white cloth napkin. About half a centimeter in, I finally uncovered the cork—dark crimson, fully soaked, and surprisingly intact. At this point, the first faint notes of the wine’s bouquet began to escape, giving me a reassuring sense of what lay ahead.

I decided to proceed with a simple professional corkscrew, avoiding any unnecessary tricks. Tilting the bottle at a 30-degree angle, I slowly screwed the corkscrew in as deeply as possible and, at the same steady angle, began to pull out the cork. It slid out smoothly, thanks to being 100% saturated with wine-a testament to the excellent care and storage over the years. When it finally emerged, not a single part of it was damaged. Bravo to those who had kept this wine so perfectly for all these decades.

Rating the Experience

1. Appearance: After almost 80 years, the wine presented a color somewhere between ruby and garnet-remarkably rich and a testament to its quality and wine storage conditions. It was slightly cloudy, though the guest preferred not to decant it. He saw the minimal sediment for himself and didn’t want to lose any of the aromatic bliss contained in the bottle.

2. Nose: The first sip I took before presenting it to the guest was an explosion of complexity. Legendary wines like this are all about tertiary aromas-those that develop over decades in the bottle. This Lynch-Bages 1945 opened with deep notes of prune, fig, truffle, tobacco leaf, and cedar resin, alongside a rich aroma of expensive cigar leaf.

3. Palate: The wine had absolutely retained its structure-thanks to the strong tannins it started with. These tannins had softened over the years, now silky and refined, providing a perfect stage for a complex fruit cocktail. Blackcurrant jam and cognac-soaked cherries lit up the taste profile, while subtle truffle accented the layered flavors. The graphite earthiness of Pauillac’s terroir was still intact. Notes of dark chocolate and cedar resin also appeared in this empire of taste. The crucial question of acidity? Surprisingly balanced, lively, and fresh-especially for a 1945 Bordeaux vintage, where that vibrancy is what makes old Bordeaux wines truly remarkable.

4. Finish: The wine had a long, elegant finish. Its full-bodied structure had been softened by decades of aging, creating a refined, graceful wine that lingered smoothly on the tongue.

Reflections through the Bordeaux wine History, Legacy, and Emotion

Moments like this don’t last forever, of course. As the initial ecstasy fades, questions arise, and you reflect on what has just passed.

Château Lynch-Bages 1945 was produced during a victory harvest-a time when Bordeaux’s winemaking industry was struggling with labor shortages, with women and children doing much of the work. But that year was blessed with perfect weather: a hot, dry summer that allowed the grapes to concentrate a rich palette of flavors, tannins, and acidity in perfect harmony. It’s important to remember that the rarity of bottles from this legendary vintage adds to its allure today.

The legacy of Lynch-Bages 1945 isn’t just the story of a family or a château-it’s the story of the entire wine world. Despite its Fifth Growth classification, Lynch-Bages cemented its status as a world-class producer with this vintage. It marked the estate’s rise to international recognition, particularly under the ownership of the Cazes family, who purchased it in 1939. Jean-Charles Cazes, who took over the management, is largely credited with the production of this legendary wine.

A Shared Moment in Time

When emotional minutes like this unite people, something magical happens. A deeper, more trusting connection is formed-one that’s filled with notes of friendship and mutual understanding. By opening this unique bottle, my guest and I felt we had journeyed through time: through prestigious auctions where this wine was sold, through the rare cellars it had rested in, and into the triumph and timeless brilliance of Bordeaux winemaking, the Pauillac terroir, and the talent of the hands at Château Lynch-Bages.

On behalf of myself, I extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who played a part in making this moment possible.