Lynsolence St. Emilion Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Lynsolence, St. Emilion with wine tasting notes, and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, the history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Lynsolence takes its name from the daughter of the owner, Denis Barraud. The wine made its debut with the 1998 vintage. However, the estate has a much longer track record in the Right Bank. In fact, the vineyard was first cultivated at the end of the 1800s by Pierre-Henri Descrambe.

Denis Barraud has been managing Lynsolence since 1971. While the Barraud family owns 36 hectares of vines located in Saint Emilion, Lynsolence is produced from a selection of the best parcels of vines, which total only 2.5 hectares.

Sadly, at far too young of an age, after a long illness, Denis Barraud passed away, on February 3, 2023. He was a nice man and an enthusiastic owner who will be missed.

Lynsolence Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The small, 2.5-hectare, Right Bank vineyard of Lynsolence is planted with 100% old vine, Merlot. The vineyards are situated in two areas in St. Emilion. They have vines that are placed not from Chateau Monbousquet where the terroir is gravel and sand with deposits of iron.

However, their best terroir is further east, near Valandraud, with gravel, rock, clay, and alluvial sands with crasse de fer. The vines are old, with an average age of close to 55 years.

The vines are planted to a vine density of 5,600 vines per hectare. Yields are purposely kept low, ranging from 19 to 25 hectoliters per hectare.

To produce the wine of Lynsolence, following a cold soak for between 6 to 10 days, vinification takes place in a combination of temperature-controlled, 50-hectoliter oak vats and 400-liter, French, oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is conducted in new, French oak barrels.

The wine of Lynsolence is aged in 100% new, French, oak barrels for an average of 18 months before bottling.

The best vintages of Lynsolence are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2005. Fans of the estate should know that starting with 2018, Lynsolence has been on top of things, making the best wine in the history of the estate.

The production of Lynsolence is small. On average, only 850 cases of wine are produced here in each vintage. Jean Luc Thunevin of Valandraud acts as their consultant.

When to Drink Lynsolence, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Lynsolence needs at least some time before it can be enjoyed. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour to 90 minutes. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Lynsolence is usually better with at least 4-6 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Lynsolence offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 5-15 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Lynsolence with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Lynsolence is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Lynsolence is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Lynsolence is also good when matched with Asian dishes, and hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.

Denis Barraud produces two other Saint Emilion wines using 100% Merlot, Chateau Les Gravieres and Haut Renaissance. The Barraud family also produces other Merlot-dominated, Bordeaux value wines, Chateau de La Cour d’Argent, Merlot De Lyne, and Emotion.

www.denis-barraud.com