The history of wine production in the Bages territory began in the 18th century. Since 1749 to 1824, the vineyard was owned and managed by Thomas Lynch for 75 years to produce high quality wine under the name of "Cru de Lynch" and included as part of the prestigious 1855 Classification, for the Exposition Universelle de Paris. Lynch's wine would soon be classified as one of the fifth growths. In the 1930's, a descendant of the Cayrou family leased the vineyard to Jean-Charles Cazes, and Cazes went on to purchase both properties in the wake of World War II. Since then, Lynch-Bages has been run by the Cazes family.

Saint-Estephe is located marginally further away from the gravel-bearing waters of the Garonne river, and the soil here is far less stony than that found in the southern part of Haut-Medoc. Instead, a heavy clay base dominates this area, resulting in poorer-draining soils, delayed ripening and higher acidity levels in the wine. These factors mean that Saint-Estephe's blended wine are predominantly made from Merlot, as it performs better on clay soils than Cabernet Sauvignon. Because these wine are often austere and tight in youth, Merlot also serves to soften the palate.