CHÂTEAU HAUT BAGES LIBÉRAL
2019 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Yes. That hits the spot nicely. Good ripe fruit. plummy and some Hawthorne too. There is wet tobacco and soft leather. Proper claret nose. A juicy line of bright acidity keeps this flowing well as the fruit darkens this retains a good classical feel. Lovely Pauillac aromatics. Pretty and energetic - but a good weight of smart fruit at the core. A very good year here - their first officially certified as Bio-dynamic.L&S (Jun 2020)
* 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 cabernet sauvignon is coming out beautifully here with a full body and very polished, chewy tannins. Chocolate, walnuts and spice. Full and racy with wonderful length and purity. Classic style. From biodynamically grown grapes. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2020)
The 2019 Haut-Bages Libéral is a gorgeous wine from Claire Lurton, even if it has closed down a bit post-bottling. Deep and translucent in feel, the 2019 gradually reveals hints of crushed red berry fruit, mint, spice, rose petal and orange peel. I especially admire the overall energy and aromatic presence. All the 2019 needs is a few years to fully come together. Drinking range: 2027 - 2044 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
The 2019 Haut Bages Libéral has a gentle nose that needs a little coaxing from the glass, eventually offering blackberry, briar, cedar and very light pencil shaving aromas. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and nicely judged acidity. It’s a bit of a deceptive Pauillac, the back end revealing plenty of juicy black fruit and tobacco and a pinch of black pepper on the aftertaste. A beautiful wine from Claire Villars-Lurton. Drinking range: 2024 - 2048 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
A successful Haut Bages Libéral, with juicy black cassis fruits, firm Pauillac tannins with a eucalyptus and white pepper twist on the finish. 40% new oak here. This is an estate that is in full evolution right now, with an impressive commitment to doing things differently - they are just uprooting a 1ha plot in front of the chateau, for example, to replant as agroforestry. First year officially certified Ecocert. 49hl/ha yield. Drinking range: 2024 - 2036 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jan 2022)
The 2019 Haut-Bages Libéral is plush and radiant from the very first taste. Inky red fruit, new leather, cedar, mint and sweet pipe tobacco envelop the palate, with suggestions of mocha, licorice and dark red cherry that appear later. Readers will find a bold, sumptuous Pauillac with soft contours, generous fruit and tons of sheer appeal. Yields were a healthy 49 hectoliters per hectare. The 2019 is projected to spend 18 months in a combination of 40% new oak, 40% once-used barrels and 20% amphora. Rating: 92-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
Clear muscles on display, speaking to Pauillac. Real depth of flavour also, with a sense of energy and forward motion through the palate, filling out with cassis fruits alongside liquorice root and a clear saline lick on the end of play. Ageing takes place in a mix of barrel and amphoras as with Ferrière, including new amphoras that are made in Limoges and have a porcelain-lined interior. First year officially certified Ecocert. 3.6pH. A yield of 49hl/ha. Drinking range: 2028 - 2042 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jun 2020)
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.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2023 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.