CHÂTEAU HAUT BAGES LIBÉRAL
2017 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Officially bio-dynamic now across the whole Claire Villars' stable. 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot. 40% new oak. 16 months of ageing. Good mineral stone lift on the nose from this gravelly part of the left bank. Yet it is the beautiful, cream textured weight of classic plum fruit that dominates the impact here. A rich weight of nicely ripened dark red and blackberry fruit runs true right throughout this. Claire tells us this is quite an English vintage and I know what she means, there is a good 'claretty' shape - yet with this wine there is more weight and plump fruit than to be truly 'classic'. This is appealing, supple and engaging. Rating: 90-91 L&S (Apr 2018)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2017 Haut-Bages-Libéral offers blackberry and cedar on the nose, classically flaired and nicely defined though perhaps a little conservative in style compared to others. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin although it lacks a little density in the middle and tapers towards the finish with pencil shavings “liberally” sprinkled over the aftertaste. I suspect that this Pauillac will drink nicely over the next decade. Tasted at the UGC trade tasting. Drinking range: 2020 - 2035 Rating: 89-91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2018)
Deep cherry with smudgy rim. Lifted cherry fruit on the nose – pretty and bright. Soft, supple and rather gentle but all in balance. Creamy finish. Drinking range: 2024 - 2034 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2018)
Tannic and linear with blackberry and currant character. Full body, tight and chewy with a polished texture and excellent length. Shows toned muscles for the vintage. Demeter certified biodynamic. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2018)
Solid, with dark plum and currant fruit forming the core, while tobacco and iron accents add bass and cut through the finish. Has the fresh cut of the vintage. Rating: 90-93 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2018)
This wine opens with some rather pretty fruit aromatics which are reminiscent of raspberry and pomegranate, presented with a leafy, minty overlay. The palate is fresh, here the raspberry fruit intertwined with praline oak, encased in a very gentle texture. It feels stony, reserved, cool, with a rather low-key presence on the palate, and a pithy, raspberry pip character. It culminates in a rather short and lightly grainy finish. This feels like a quite delicate wine which will be drinking over the next five to ten years. Rating: 86-88 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2018)
Château Haut Bages Libéral
Pauillac Cinquième cru 1855 Château Haut Bages Libéral sits nearly atop the hill to the south of the hamlet of Bages - hence the name, Haut Bages - seperated by a country lane from Château Latour. The estate was owned by the Libéral family during the 18th Century, hence the last part of the name. Despite being surrounded by illustious neighbours - aside from Latour to the immediate south, Haut Bages Libéral can also count the two Pichons as "next door" - achieving 5th Growth status in 1855 seems to have been a bit of a high point as a century of typically Bordelais decline followed. In 1960 the Cruse family took control and, apart from cleaving off a portion of vineyards and handing them over to Château Pontet-Canet, the fortunes of Haut Bages Libéral began to improve. The Cruse family were forced to sell in 1982 and Château Haut Bages Libéral became part of the Merlaut family's Taillan Group, which includes Chasse Spleen and Gruaud Larose. The 28ha of vineyard are planted to 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. The wine is fermented in stainless steel before spending 16 months in wood (40% new). Whilst not living up to the greatest heights of its neighbour Latour, Haut Bages Libéral offers some very good value for a really well-made Pauillac.
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