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Offering up aromas of wild berries, cassis, licorice, rose petals and sweet soil tones, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless palate, its powdery structuring tannins hidden in an ample core of lively, succulent fruit.
Château Haut-Bages Libéral is a Fifth Growth in Pauillac owned and run by Claire Villars-Lurton and her husband Gonzague Lurton. It is one of the couple’s three Classified Growths in the Médoc with biodynamic certification, along with Château Durfort-Vivens and Château Ferrière. Sitting just next door to Château Latour, the two are the only Pauillac estates with parcels of limestone soils, thought to lend elegance and finesse in a commune often known for power.
In our humble opinion, both Claire and her Husband Gonzague are two of the most charming and charismatic winemakers in Bordeaux. Besides wonderful storytellers, you can taste the love for their vines. Under Claire's leadership the quality of her wine has never been better - this wine is going places!
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
James Suckling: 96/100
Robert Parker (William Kelley): 95/100
Cellar suggestion: Drink from 2024 to 2055
