Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal 5eme Cru Classe 2022

Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal 5eme Cru Classe 2022Country: France Region: Bordeaux Varietal: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon 13% Merlot Vintage: 2022 Colour: Red Style: Dry Producer: Chteau Haut Bages Libral Producer Description: Chateau Haut Bages Liberal is one of the least known Pauillac estates but produces exemplary clarets at extremely competitive prices. Since 1983 it has been owned by the Taillan Group who also own Chasse Spleen and Clos d'Estournel. It was run during the 80s and early 90s by

Country: France Region: Bordeaux 

Varietal:  87% Cabernet Sauvignon 13% Merlot

Vintage: 2022 Colour: Red Style: Dry

Producer: Château Haut-Bages Libéral

Producer Description:
Chateau Haut Bages Liberal is one of the least known Pauillac estates but produces exemplary clarets at extremely competitive prices. Since 1983 it has been owned by the Taillan Group who also own Chasse-Spleen and Clos d'Estournel. It was run during the 80s and early 90s by Bernadette Villars and, since her death, has been run by her daughter, Claire.

The 29-hectare property is superbly sited in the south of the Pauillac appellation between Chateau Latour and the 2 Pichons. The vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon, 80%, Merlot 17%, Petit Verdot 3%) lie on deep gravel beds over limestone. Since Claire Villars has been at the helm, the wines have become deeper in colour and more concentrated, with notable depth of fruit. It is classified as a 5eme Cru Classe.

Ageing: 16 months: 40% in new oak barrels, 40% in barrels of one wine, 20% in ovoid concrete tanks and amphorae 

Antonio Galloni, Vinous
97/100 Points
"The 2022 Haut-Bages Libéral is huge and explosive right out of the gate. A rush of dark red cherry/plum fruit, rose petal, blood orange, incense, liquorice and mocha saturates the palate. Saline notes extend the mid-palate and finish effortlessly. This is one of the most exuberant, ample wines I have tasted from Claire Villars-Lurton. I would give the 2022 a number of years in bottle to shed some baby fat. Today, it tastes almost like a barrel sample! The purity and primary intensity of the fruit is remarkable. The Haut-Bages Libéral was raised in a combination of 40% new oak, 40% once-used barrels and 20% a mix of concrete and amphora. This is one of the under-the-radar gems of 2022."

Jeb Dunnuck
96/100 Points
"I loved the 2022 Château Haut-Bages Libéral, a spicy, complex, nuanced Pauillac that has both red and black currants, textbook notes of freshly sharpened pencils, leather, and flowers, medium to full body, a ripe, pure, layered mouthfeel, and remarkable length on the finish. It's beautifully done and well worth seeking out. As with many top Pauillac, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it close down in 3-5 years, only to re-emerge 10-12 years after the vintage, with a solid two decades of longevity thereafter."

Neil Martin, Vinous
95/100 Points
"The 2022 Haut-Bages Libéral matured in 40% new oak for 16 months. This is slightly muted for the first couple of minutes, then it opens with very attractive blackberry and bilberry scents. It perhaps has more 'mineralité' than the Ferrière, with just a touch of wild mint in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and cedar, cracked black pepper and saline notes toward the controlled, focused finish. What a wonderful HBL."

William Kelley, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
94/100 Points
"The 2022 Haut-Bages-Liberal is lovely, bursting with aromas of blackberries and cherries mingled with notions of orange zest, rose petals and violets. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and gourmand, with lively acids and a bright, chalky finish, its low pH of 3.54 reflects a decade of organic farming and the limestone subsoils that characterize this sector of Pauillac."

Tasting Notes:
The 2022 vintage shows an incredible fruit-driven profile, and a beautiful minerality, reflecting perfectly the ideal terroir where Château Haut-Bages Libéral is located. Elegant and precise.

Food Pairing: Ideal choices include grilled entrecôte with herbs, rack of lamb, roasted duck, or wild game.