Château Haut-Bages Libéral 2023

A textbook Pauillac nose, a hint of leather, plenty of cassis, peppery; on the palate, silky on the attack, then it tightens, polished tannins, lots of energy; very good length. A lot of Pauillac for the money.

The 2023 Haut-Bages Libéral has a very fine bouquet, black fruit mixed with cedar and pencil-shaving scents that is classical in style, not powerful but nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. Fine weight, driven by the 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, so that there is weight and density on the finish. This deserves four to five years in bottle. Excellent.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Fine nuances of cassis, ripe red heart cherry, fine herbal savouriness, still somewhat reserved. Juicy red forest berries, compact, ripe tannins, good freshness, red-berry nuances on the finish, an energetic food companion.

Intense and crunchy blue and black fruits, delivering tons of Pauillac character, reserved and well-judged, juicy cassis, liquorice root, slate and cocoa bean. Delicious, a lovely vintage of this wine. Harvest September 12 to 30. 53 hl/ha yield, just a little higher than the already high yield of Pauillac in this vintage, no mildew. pH 3.48, 40% new oak, with the rest one year old, plus concrete eggs and amphora. Claire Villars-Lurton owner.

A lovely gourmand nose, precise, deep, infused, aromatic, dense, elegant and harmonious. It shows notes of boysenberry, pulpy/wild blackcurrant and, more subtly, cornflower, with touches of graphite, roasted-juicy red berries, as well as hints of tobacco, sweet spices, a subtle almost sage-like note in the background and a discreet hint of toasted almond. The palate is beautifully juicy, silky and fruity, offering freshness, minerality, balance, tension, accuracy, suppleness, pleasurable power, a velvety, elegant feel, and a supple, sapid grain. Very fine freshness with suppleness. It delivers notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry, violet and, more lightly, bright raspberry, combined with touches of bright/fresh red berries, as well as hints of tobacco, chocolate, nutmeg and toast. Lovely gourmandise, softness and sapidity on the finish/persistence. The tannins are soft, precise, flavorful and straight. Finesse with power and accuracy, an airy touch.

Great aromatics, really quite scented on the nose. Highly fragrant with purple flowers, damsons and rich black and red fruit. Great acidity, more juicy and fun than some Pauillacs with lots of energy and brightness. Really feel the vivacity to this wine, straight and clean, precise, not so much weight, the straight Cabernets are doing all the talking with some wet stone minerality on the back. Friendly, lovely and precise. Approachable, this doesn’t have the seriousness of some but this is well made with lots of freshness, mint, cedar and tobacco and liquorice on the long finish. 3.45pH.

93-95. Barrel Sample. The red fruits in this wine come through into the aroma of this juicy wine. It is mineral, with concentrated tannins and ripe black fruit. The wine's richness will develop well. Organic and biodynamic.