David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

For our wedding reception in Cortona, I packed a magnum of 1986 Haut-Bages Liberal. Since then, we have bought it in all good Bordeaux years and have one on our anniversary. Sadly, I have an 86 somewhere in my EuroCave cabinets. I just couldn’t find it. It has been a challenging afternoon. Next year! A excellent vintage of Haut-Bages Liberal will just have to fill in.

The nose reveals; dark currants, heavily extracted blackberries, creamy black raspberries, black plum with skin, dark cherries, mix of purple fruits, sweet tarriness, dark chocolate, caramel, mocha, cinnamon, vanilla, light clove, some dark spices, lots of steeped, dark fruit tea, fresh Provenance herbs, anise, limestone minerals, dry clay, dry top soil, dry stones, a fair amount of graphite, fresh tobacco leaf, saddle-wood to cedar, leathery notes, dry underbrush, bright; dark, red, blue and violet florals.

Most of the 2000 Left Bank wines typically remain tight as a drum. This is just starting to open up and ascend.

The body is full, ripe, rich, lush and showing the beauty of the vintage. The tannins are rounded but, still show plenty of teeth and meaty, sticky, tarriness. The structure & tension are just starting to relax. The length and balance are really nice and will continue to better with many years in bottle. It’s still a hold for 7–10 years for its full beauty. Dark currants, heavily extracted blackberries, creamy black raspberries, black plum with skin, dark cherries, mix of purple fruits, strawberries, sweet tarriness, dark chocolate, caramel, mocha, cinnamon, vanilla, light clove, dark spices with palate heat, lots of steeped, dark fruit tea, fresh Provenance herbs, anise, expresso roast, limestone minerals, dry clay, dry, crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry stones, a fair amount of graphite, hints of black pepper, old & fresh tobacco leaf, saddle-wood to cedar, leathery notes, dry underbrush, bright; dark, red, blue and violet florals. The acidity is round and near perfect. The long finish is; ripe, well balanced with fruit and earth with penetrating earth/minerals and persists several minutes.

Happy Anniversary Sofia...would love to do it all over again as we did in 2012.

Photos of; the Piazza of the La Repubblica...the building we were married, us leaving for our reception and one of the better meals of our life, walking through town on the way to our reception and our wedding ceremony. — 12 days ago

Brian Gustafson

9.1

Pulled this from the cellar for an international guest. Still holding up well; much better than the 1983. — 7 days ago

Andrew Lohse

8.9

Spicy black fruit on the nose / leather, tobacco, dark wood / rich and fairly polished — 3 days ago

Chris McClellan

9.0

Big dark stewed fruits, vanilla , baking spices and smooth tannin...delightful — 4 days ago

with Deb, Ryan and 1 other

David Schneider

9.2

I wasn’t expecting much from this. After all, I never had a 92 Bordeaux nor have I ever seen one! But it was good. Fully mature. Classic older Bordeaux without all those barnyard flavors. — 16 days ago

Scott Petrus

9.3

Inadvertently opened way too young by Noob. That being said it was a lovely wine that was robbed of its potential. great flavors and above average depth. Deductions for being robbed of what should have been a long life ahead. — 15 days ago

Arden Barnett

9.2

In my opinion this guy has seen better days. Nose is really nice, typical Cabernet notes right off the bat but the finish was missing something. — 5 days ago

Larry Frierson

9.2

Very typical 1982. Kind of rich, low acid, not real defined. But very tasty. — 7 days ago

with Craig

Michael Maulick

9.8

This app has seen the last of me. I can’t add the real address or whom I’m with properly. A waste of my time - this was shared with Tom Koelhoffer at Bond 45 at 221 46th St. NY NY.
Good by delectable !! — 8 days ago

Rick Cacciapaglia

9.9

An nose like Cyrano de Bergerac and it finished like Mariano Rivera. — 4 days ago