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2020 Château Haut-Bages-Liberal

Light label condition issue

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Purchased upon release; Consignor is original owner

Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

97James Suckling

Blackcurrant, orange peel and green coffee bean aromas follow through to a full body with medium, round tannins. Citrusy, juicy and rose bush finish. Chewy and intense. Some old vine character with bark and dark mushroom. Solid!

94The Wine Advocate

...supple and seamless, bursting with aromas of sweet dark berries, petals and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy palate. Succulent and polished...

94Wine Enthusiast

Bold and rich, this wine shows power and structure...delicious black currant fruitiness to go with the tannins.

94Jeb Dunnuck

...beautiful perfume of cassis and plum-like fruits interwoven with licorice, violets, damp earth, and subtle underbrush-like aromas and flavors...medium-bodied...focused, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and outstanding length...focused, elegant, yet concentrated style of this vintage beautifully.

93Vinous / IWC

Blackberry, raspberry coulis and light orange pith scents on the nose, with hints of star anis emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fine acidity, quite strict on the entry with a fine salinity towards the finish. Good length.

91.4CellarTracker

91Decanter Magazine (points)

...ton of blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, chewy and concentrated, cassis fruit pastilles give a sweet but well textured feel, and a shot of acidity picks everything up on the finish.

17Jancis Robinson

Pure and precise with plenty of energy and drive. Fruit evident on the nose and palate. Sufficient depth on the latter. Firm and minerally behind but the tannins are silky and refined.

PRODUCER

Château Haut-Bages-Liberal

Château Haut-Bages-Liberal gets its name from its location on a hill in Bages, a village between Pauillac and St. Julien. Liberal was the name of the family who founded the estate in the 18th century. Located in the Pauillac appellation, the estate is a Fifth Growth according to the Bordeaux classification of 1855. Located next to legendary Château Latour, Haut-Bages-Liberal owns 70 acres of vineyards planted to 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Since 1982 the estate has been owned by the owners of Chasse Spleen. Robert M. Parker Jr. has noted that “this château has regularly produced an excellent, although underestimated wine since the middle of the seventies. The vineyards were replanted in the sixties and are now approaching their maturity.”

REGION

France, Bordeaux, Pauillac

Pauillac is Bordeaux’s most famous appellation, thanks to the fact that it is home to three of the region’s fabled first-growth châteaux, Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild and Latour. Perched on the left bank of the Gironde River north of the city of Bordeaux, Pauillac is centered around the commune of Pauillac and includes about 3,000 acres of vineyards. The Bordeaux classification of 1855 named 18 classified growths, including the three above mentioned First Growths. Cabernet Sauvignon is the principal grape grown, followed by Merlot. The soil is mostly sandy gravel mixed with marl and iron. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “the textbook Pauillac would tend to have a rich, full-bodied texture, a distinctive bouquet of black currants, licorice and cedary scents, and excellent aging potential.”

VINTAGE

2020 Château Haut-Bages-Liberal