Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1999 vintage. Nice fill. Used a Durand. Solid cork with approx 50% saturation. Decanted and tasted after two hours. That decided Lynch-Bages medium heavy bod. Has dropped some, not all, of the overt primary fruit load. Pleasant spices and feminine characteristics easily noted and cataloged. Pretty harmonious now tho with a little chunkiness/tannic blessing as more of a fleeting kiss vs a big hug. Could easily go another decade in this ensemble. 6.14.26. — 15 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Château Haut-Bages Libéral – Red blend – 2022
Pauillac AOC – Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Left Bank classicism meets modern precision. A Cabernet-dominant blend at 87% and 13% Merlot that showcases Pauillac’s hallmark structure wrapped in surprising elegance. Certified organic and biodynamic, made by Claire Villars-Lurton, one of the leading women in Bordeaux.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, graphite, cedar, plum skin, and violets with subtle tobacco leaf, pencil shavings, and cocoa. Young, fresh, and layered.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus to full-bodied with refined tannins, balanced acidity, and a polished, seamless texture. Harmonious and structured with a delicious, lingering finish.

Food Pairings
Roast lamb, ribeye, duck breast, mushroom ragù, or aged Comté.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced, terroir-driven Pauillac that delivers finesse without sacrificing power. Delicious now, but built to evolve gracefully.

Did You Know?
Château Haut-Bages Libéral is a Fifth Growth from the 1855 Classification, situated next on to Château Latour. The “Libéral” family were 18th-century négociants who selected some of Pauillac’s best parcels, many still form the estate today. — 7 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

A Château location with an exceptional terroir located next to the prestigious Château Latour, and among the most qualitative terroir of the Pauillac appellation.
This haut-Bages vintage ’21 has a considerable balance, plenty of velvety notes, and palatable body generated from a blend of 90% Cab Sauv, and 10% Merlot. The wine as overall is significantly powerful, elegant and vibrant, plentiful of minerality and subtle touch of salinity. Great structure and chewing tannins. However, the wine needs a bit more time. Although I decanted it for 2-3 hours, it was still too tight to appreciate the rest of nuances. I would hold it for the V’21 for another 3-5 years! — a year ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2019 vintage. Château Julia owns less than 1 hectare of Pauillac (65 are to be precise), situated between Latour and Lynch-Bages. They also produce a Haut-Médoc from 4,5 hectares.
Merlot dominates here (70%), with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. Therefore, it is no surprise to find some floral Margaux-like sexiness here. The wine has a solid stucture, but elegance prevails over power. Typically, only 3000 bottles produced. A hard find, but well worth the search. — 2 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2016 vintage. Jean-Michel Cazes (owner of famous Pauillac Cru Classé Lynch-Bages and more recently Haut-Batailley) bought this Minervois estate in 2002. This is the "grand vin", a blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 20% Grenache and 5% Mourvèdre. A very spicy concentrated wine that is more about power than finesse. The colour is still deep dark red with hardly any sign of evolution. Intense spicy nose. Bold and powerful with black fruit hidden in spices. Long peppery finish. Take no prisoners. Abv. 14,5%. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.5

The 2018 Grand Puy Lacoste has a quintessential Pauillac nose of intense black fruit infused with graphite scents, pencil shavings and a very discreet marine influence. It is beautifully defined, less opulent than the 2018 Lynch Bages tasted alongside, yet maybe more complex. The palate is medium-bodied and taut, offering sappy black fruit, gritty tannins and a lot of crushed stone. The focused, graphite-driven finish could only come from this appellation. Superb. A wine to correct those bemoaning that Bordeaux no longer makes "proper Claret." (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2021)
— 5 years ago

Austin Blackwell

9.2

In a great spot if you like savory wines. Fruit and acidity have calmed, allowing a gamey aroma profile of cured meats and iodine to come through. It still has some dark plum and cherry but showing the age and complex bouquet which is quite nice. Medium plus bodied, it has nice texture with an approachable ABV at 13.5%. — 7 days ago

with Angelina

Tristan

9.0

Decent but not good value at $73 — 6 months ago

leon egozi

9.5

NY wine spectator event — 8 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.4

2022 vintage. Deep dark red, with purplish rim. Very attractive nose already, with cassis, blackberries, raspberries,flowers and subtle cedar.
Midweight, with layers of succulent black and red fruits and fresh acidity, embedded in a ripe tannic structure. Great length, with a distinctive mineral touch. Not sure if it is as good as the incredible 2016, but a close contender for one of the best wines ever for this estate. Abv. 13%. It totally outperforms the Croizet Bages 2022 tasted alongside. — a year ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.6

2018 vintage. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (95%), with Cabernet Franc (4%) and Petit Verdot. I am grateful to have met Kandice and Mark Jessup here in Blaye and taste their wines. Impressive aromatics, a panoply of black fruits, dark chocolate, and Pauillac-like lead pencil (Lynch-Bages comes to mind). Impeccable balance of succulent fruit, high quality tannins and fresh acidity. Intense, profound and very long. Amazing wine and very good value for Napa (about 105 $). Abv. 14,8%. — 2 years ago

Ellen

8.9

perfect with palleron du boef by the beach in saint palais sur mer. — 3 years ago

Patrick Peters

9.3

I really regret opening this and wish I had kept racked, but the fruit was bright, almost jammy. Light on tannins, alcohol medium, very smooth. Also a great French red. — 5 years ago

Conrad Green

9.3

A vivid, bloody savory nose. Ink and iodine. Lovely fresh fruit but so resolved. Drinking really well now — a month ago

with Paul and Ara

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2014 vintage. Excellent cork and fill. Decanted with minimal sed and tasted after 1.5 hours. One of the few outlier exceptions (Haut-Bages-Libéral, Pichon-Lalande, et al) that proves the general, big and bold, Pauillac rule. Delicate impressions from start to finish with impeccable balance. Medium body. Plenty of flavors and sensations without big, overt commitments to any of them. Playing the field and we are all the better for it. Drinking beautifully now without any perceived or obvious Scylla/Charybdis pitfalls in the next decade. 01.16.26. — 5 months ago

Rob Brobst III

9.6

En Primeur 2025 — a year ago

Karen Lowenstein

9.5

$350 let’s open it up. Delicious drinking full bodied but light. Perfect for pork chops! 2/25 — 2 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

8.9

2019 vintage. From 30 hectares in Haut-Medoc, owned by the Quié family ( also Rauzan-Gassies and Croizet-Bages). A fine effort, showing that the Quié family is finally serious about quality, after decades of mediocrity. Much more evolved in colour compared to the 2019 Moulin de La Lagune tasted alongside. Ripe, slightly jammy fruit. Serve slightly cold to keep the high alcohol ( 15% abv.) in check. — 3 years ago

J. Kim

9.1

The 2016 has rounder fatter fruit and less angular architecture than the 2010, and more intense structure than the 2015. The aroma is a classic old school Pauillac, black fruit, tobacco, cigar box and graphite, on top of leathery barnyard bass notes that one often finds in old Lynch Bages or Pontet Canet. More masculine than feminine with lack of vanilla and minty notes. No overripeness, over-oakiness, over-manipulation this year. Type IV Bordeaux in which the aromatic complexity and the structural intensity is well-matched. Less polish this year but the balance between the presence and the reserve is so well-judged. — 4 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2016 vintage. Domaine de l'Ostal is owned by famous Bordeaux winemaker Jean-Michel Cazes (Pauillac Cru Classé Château Lynch-Bages and more recently Haut-Batailley). We can reasonably expect him to not put his name on a bad wine, and this Estobal (the second wine of the estate, the top wine being labeled Domaine de l'Ostal Grand Vin) surely delivers. Dark red. Intense perfume of blackberry jam, rosemary and dried flowers. Mouthfilling layered jammy fruit, with good acidity, smooth tannin and good spicy length. — 5 years ago