Tasting notes
Antonio Galloni · Vinous · 96
The 2023 Haut-Bages Libéral is a potent, virile wine. In many vintages, Haut-Bages Libéral is a bit more pliant and inviting, but the 2023 is a wine that is going to need time to come around. Swaths of tannin wrap around a core of black fruit, leather, lavender, licorice, incense and gravel. The 2023 was aged for 16 months in 40% new barrels, 40% once-filled barrels and 20% in a mix of amphora and concrete ovals. I can't wait to see how this ages.
James Suckling · James Suckling · 95-96
86% cabernet sauvignon and 14% merlot. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.
A very pure and beautiful HBL with blackcurrant and mineral notes, like crushed stones, and a vivid freshness. Purity and brightness in the centre palate, with the essence of cassis and a crunchy minerality from part of the vineyard in limestone.
Jeb Dunnuck · Jeb Dunnuck · 93
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot aged 16 months in 40% new French oak, 40% one-year-old barrels, and 20% amphora, the 2023 Château Haut-Bages Libéral sports a deeper ruby/purple hue as well as a great nose of bright berries, sappy tobacco, liquid violets, and damp earth. Coming from two separate terroirs in Pauillac, it's medium-bodied and has a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and nicely integrated acidity. This is a beautifully layered, elegant 2023 that shows the style of the vintage as well as the château. Drink bottles any time over the coming 25+ years. Drink 2026-2051.
Neal Martin · Vinous · 93
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.
William Kelley · Wine Advocate · 93-95
The 2023 Haut-Bages-Liberal is very promising, bursting with aromas of dark berries, cassis, pencil shavings and violets, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and suave palate with an enveloping core of fruit, lively acids typical of this limestone terroir, and sweet, powdery tannins. It's a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot with a low pH of 3.48.
Jane Anson · Decanter · 93
Intense and crunchy blue and black fruits, delivering tons of Pauillac character, reserved and well judged, juicy cassis, liqourice root, slate and cocoa bean. Delicous, a lovely vintage of this wine. Harvest September 12 to 30. 53hl/h yield, just a little higher than the already high yield of Pauillac in this vintage, no mildew. 3.48ph, 40% new oak, with the rest of one year old, pls concrete eggs and amphora. Claire Villars-Lurton owner.
Georgie Hindle · Decanter · 93
3.45pH
Great aromatics, really quite scented on the nose. Highly fragrant with purple flowers, damsons and rich black and red fruit. It has great acidity and is more juicy and fun than some Pauillacs, with lots of energy and brightness. I really feel the vivacity of 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, tobacco and liquorice on the long finish.
Drink 2030 - 2044
