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2002 Château Haut-Bages Libéral |
| Vintage | 2002 |  Label 1 of 17   | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Château Haut-Bages Libéral (web) | ||
| Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | ||
| Designation | n/a | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | France | ||
| Region | Bordeaux | ||
| SubRegion | Médoc | ||
| Appellation | Pauillac |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average 88.7 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 19 notes) | |
| Tasted by CabIsKing on 8/9/2009 & rated 89 points: Nice fruity aromas with tobacco and licorice. A good mouthfeel with soft tannins and short finish. Don't know if it will get any better with time. Drink them if you have them. (348 views) | |
| Tasted by scott davis on 8/7/2009 & rated 86 points: Dense plum/ruby color, with a delicate nose of cassis and earth. The palate shows soft flavors of black cherry, currants, and spice box. With moderate tannin and a narrow finish, this is cleanly made but lacking intensity. (362 views) | |
| Tasted by Ilkkaw on 8/1/2009 & rated 89 points: (234 views) | |
| Tasted by Snarf on 6/3/2009 & rated 90 points: (441 views) | |
| Tasted by quagland on 5/29/2009 & rated 88 points: ruby color light near the rim the nose was impressive...fruit o plenty on the palate the wine seemed thin, as i was expecting more fruit medium finish this was a decent wine; the nose was great but the rest of the package failed to deliver 50+4+14+14+6=88 (543 views) | |
| Tasted by Snarf on 5/13/2009 & rated 90 points: (450 views) | |
| Tasted by Snarf on 1/19/2009 & rated 91 points: (503 views) | |
| Tasted by Jaybrams on 12/27/2008 & rated 88 points: (491 views) | |
| Tasted by tahava on 9/22/2008 & rated 88 points: (614 views) | |
| Tasted by Rayburn on 6/2/2008 & rated 88 points: Better than the last bottle. More fruit and typicity of Pauillac. Nice dark fruit, almost brooding. Medium tannin with a moderate finish. Drink up if you have them. (1104 views) | |
| Tasted by Hazeo on 5/26/2008 & rated 87 points: (807 views) | |
| Tasted by Hazeo on 5/9/2008 & rated 89 points: (758 views) | |
| Tasted by Ilkkaw on 3/28/2008 & rated 88 points: (874 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 3/8/2008 & rated 89 points: Very good value. Dark berries, tobacco, and licorice. Nice mouthfeel. Balanced. Short finish. A nice wine for the money. Will certainly look for more. (1333 views) | |
| Tasted by Hazeo on 2/21/2008 & rated 89 points: Very decent bottle, just shy of the 90-point mark. Great QPR. (1489 views) | |
| Tasted by Rayburn on 12/26/2007 & rated 86 points: Dumb Phase? Too early? Bad bottle? I'm not sure, but this wasn't enjoyable. Nose was reduced with black currant, smoke, burnt rubber. Palate was thick black tar, leather, prune and a touch of black currant. Where was the fruit? Followed for 4 hours and this didn't change a bit. Maybe my other bottle will be better in the far off future. (1434 views) | |
| Tasted by PDD on 12/24/2007 & rated 91 points: Decanted and let breathe for about 2.5 hours. Very nice and the tannins are very soft. Nice fruit and earthiness. Very well balanced. (1401 views) | |
| Tasted by obarwell on 1/3/2007 & rated 90 points: (1249 views) | |
| Tasted by GraemeG on 5/31/2006: WSET Advanced Cert3 - course wines (Fine Wine Partners, Sydney): {cork, 13%, A$80} Intense ruby. Youthful aromas of cedar, blackcurrant/blackberry, some herbaceousness. An honest wine, with a dry palate, soft acid, plenty of tannin, medium body and intensity. Flavours in harmony with aromas, decent medium length finish. Wants a little time develop some secondary characters, but not so much that the fruit goes, which it will… (304 views) |
| CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles) |
| Producer website Chateau Haut-Bages-Libéral
The Bages plateau, named for the family that owned this land in the 16th Century, lies between the towns of Pauillac, to the north, and St-Julien-Beychevelle, to the south. Just a short walk through the vineyards to the south of Pauillac is the village of Bages itself, situated on a gravelly rise which although not of great altitude, in this coastal landscape of gently rolling gravel mounds it affords as good a view over the Gironde as you are likely to find. Closely dotted around there are numerous chateaux and vineyards that clearly declare this rare vantage point as their home; Lynch-Bages, Croizet-Bages, Cordeillan-Bages, Haut-Bages-Averous and, of course, Chateau Haut-Bages-Libéral. The prefix Haut describes the estate's position at the top of the plateau, very close to the highest point of the commune, whereas Libéral tells us a little of the chateau's originators.
The Libéral family established this as their home in the 18th Century, and consequently gave their name to the estate. They were courtiers, buyers and sellers of wines, broking deals between lordly vignerons and the market. As such they had great knowledge of the wine business, and I suspect may have accumulated some wealth along the way, allowing them to purchase this land, and to gather together a small collection of vineyard plots in the commune of Pauillac. Clearly by the mid-19th Century the wine had a presence and a track record on the place, as the 1855 classification saw it ranked as a Cinquième Cru Classé.
Despite this promise over the ensuing century the property fell into a state of neglect, not an uncommon tale in this region at the time, compounded by vineyard disease, war and economic depression. It was not until 1960 that there was any sign of hope, when the property was purchased by the Société Civile Charreules, an operation under the control of the famous Cruse dynasty. Unusually, during the decade that followed some of the Haut-Bages-Libéral vineyards that adjoined those of Pontet-Canet were cleaved off, and incorporated into the latter estate, which was also under Cruse ownership at the time, but otherwise this change of ownership was a step in the right direction. There was at least investment, as the new owners replanted some of the vineyards, and erected winery buildings and installed new equipment, although in part this was in response to the need to begin chateau-bottling rather than to ratchet up the quality.
The Cruse family sold Pontet-Canet following the scandal of the early 1970s, and in 1982 Haut-Bages-Libéral went the same way. Competition to purchase the property, which has vineyards adjacent to some of the most famous in the commune, was stiff, but the eventual winner was Jacques Merlaut, who added the chateau and estate to his expanding portfolio of properties that went under the title of the Taillan Group. He already owned Chasse-Spleen, and to these two the family subsequently added Gruaud-Larose, Ferrière, Citran and La Gurgue; these are now under the control of Merlaut's granddaughter, Claire Villars, and all the properties have enjoyed her dynamic, revitalising presence.
The three vineyards of Chateau Haut-Bages-Libéral are, for the most part, ideally situated within the commune of Pauillac. The largest lies just across the road from the vineyards of Chateau Latour, with only a country lane defining where first growth ends and fifth growth begins, and another plot lies close by, slightly further south, just adjacent to Pichon-Lalande. Both these vineyards are a short distance south of the town of Pauillac, and are just a stones throw from the banks of the Gironde. The third plot, however, lies further inland on the Bages plateau, adjacent to Grand-Puy-Lacoste. No doubt the increasing age of the 28 hectares of vines at Chateau Haut-Bages-Libéral, following the replanting of the Cruse era, has also contributed to the gradual improvement exhibited by the wine over the last few decades. The average age is now about 35 years, and older vines are replaced individually rather than en masse. As is the norm with the classed growth properties of the left bank, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates (80%), with some accompanying Merlot (17%) and some Petit Verdot (3%). The harvest is manual, and fermentation is in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats before going in to oak (40% bew each year) for sixteen months. Claire Villars, with oenologist Alain Sutre, has continued to make improvements during her tenure, introducing a lengthy cuvaison and malolactic en barrique; many of these new processes were intended to soften the impact of the wine, which had a reputation for being somewhat hard and muscular, particularly in its youth. Today, production of the grand vin, Chateau Haut-Bages-Libéral, stands at around 9000 cases per annum, with 6500 cases of the second wine, La Chapelle de Bages.
Haut-Bages-Libéral is one of those worthy fifth growth Pauillac wines, like Haut-Batailley and one or two others, that offer good value to those in the know. It has been a rather burly style over the years, but in more recent vintages such as the 2002, 2004 and 2005 there is a more attractive, lifted style, with a caressing character, which I certainly find appealing. What is more, in the right vintage it still remains very good value. (24/7/02, updated 28/11/06)
About red wine The variety Red Bordeaux Blend on CellarTracker implies any blend using any or all of the five traditional Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. As such, this is used worldwide, whether for wines from Bordeaux, Meritages from California and Canada, some Super-Tuscan wines etc. Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia) Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) | Simple Bordeaux primer Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines. Looking full onto the river from the earliest days, with an important port activity, traces of which go back to ancient times (shipment of bronze as long ago as 2000 B.C.), Pauillac's life has always been intimately linked to the history of wine. Although port activities were at the root of its prosperity, Pauillac had to wait until the eighteenth century when Bordeaux ceased to hold its privileged position to become a wine port. The town then became the natural outlet for the wine production of neighbouring cantons before reaching its zenith in a period when the vineyards were exceptionally prosperous. The characteristic of the Pauillac terroir is its exceptional relief: the many undulating ridges make it unique morphologically speaking. Highly favourable conditions facilitate the dissection of the layer of gravel. This thin, Garonne gravel from whose very poverty springs great richness, has an extremely effective natural drainage. With their velvet red colour with a hint of amber, the wines from the Pauillac appellation, full-bodied and rich in tannin, are vigorous. Powerful when young, their aromas of red fruits (black-currant, raspberry) or flowers (violets, roses, irises) melt with the passing of time into a bouquet which is long in the mouth. Rich and complex, the wines of Pauillac deserve to be laid down for a little longer. Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936) In order to have the right to the Pauillac appellation of controlled origin, red wines must: - come from the commune of Pauillac and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cissac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Sauveur, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils", - satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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