2020 Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal - 5eme Cru Pauillac

Decanter.com – 96 pts – GH: *Dark and brooding, blackcurrant, black cherry and milk chocolate with floral flecks. Thick but so juicy, really alive in the glass, forward and bold, still with bite but also density of tannins, fleshy right now. Herbal medicinal raspberry and strawberries and red cherries comprise the fruit flavours on the palate. Tannins are super smooth, really harmonious, while still having density and plushness. There are wines in this vintage that make you smile and this is one of them - very charming. The sucrosity gives a tiny bit of sweetness to the cheeks and the acidity is great. I love the savoury nature too, the liquorice and clove are well balanced and it really gives the Pauillac power. Very complete, a shining star.* - 01/2023

Falstaff Magazin – 94 pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Dunkle Waldbeeren, zarte Kräuterwürze, Brombeeren, ein Hauch von Cassis, zarte florale Nuancen, einladendes Bukett. Saftig, elegant und frisch, feine Kirschfrucht, reife, tragende Tannine, zarte Fruchtsüße im Abgang, lebendiger Stil, bereits einwickelt, geprägt von einer angenehmem Säurestruktur, ein zugänglicher, finessenreicher Wein mit dezenter Honignote im Abgang.* - 02/2023

Vinum Magazin – 18/20 pts: *Zuerst etwas reduktiv und ausbaugeprägt, dann würzig-fruchtig; direkter Ansatz, fruchtig-mineralische Entwicklung, langer, eleganter Ausklang; hervorragend gemacht in der Linie der letzten Jahrgänge.*

WeinWisser – 18/20pts – GL, TW: *Verhaltener Beginn, Szechuanpfeffer, edle Cassiswürze und Brasiltabak. Am druckvollen Gaumen mit cremiger Textur, feinkörniges Extrakt, stützende Rasse und muskulöser Körper. Im gebündelten Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen, dunkles Graphit und viel Spannung.* – 03/2023

JancisRobinson.com – 17/20pts – JL: *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. Pauillac of a caressing nature. This property continues to improve. Should be GV.* - 03/2021

JamesSuckling.com - 95-96pts - JS: *Unique character to this with mushroom, wet-earth, spice, and black-tea character on the nose and palate. It’s full and layered with chewy tannins that are plush and pure. Rose-bush and bark undertones to the fruit. Old merlot vines showing through! 72% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot. From biodynamically grown grapes. Demeter certification.* - 06/2021

Vinous.com – 96 pts – AG: *The 2020 Haut-Bages Libéral is exceptionally beautiful and vivid. Hard candy, kirsch, rose petal, cinnamon and blood orange are some of the many notes that race across the palate. A wine of magnificent purity and silkiness, the Haut-Bages Libéral is simply captivating in its intensity. Bright acids punctuate the articulate, persistent finish. Magnificent.* - 12/2022

Vinous.com – 93 pts – NM: *The 2020 Haut-Bages Libéral was 20% aged in a mixture of concrete eggs and amphora. 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. This is one of the finest wines from this Pauillac estate in recent years and might well provide outstanding value.* - 12/2022

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 94 pts – JL: *Flowers, smoke, tobacco leaf, sweet bright red currants, and forest floor are at the center of the nose and palate here. Fresh, bright, and energetic, the wine is fresh and vibrant, with loads of bright, fresh, chewy, crunchy, dark, ripe red fruits, round textures, and leafy herbs on the mid-palate and in the savory, spice-tinted finish. The wine is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2055.* - 08/2023

Doctorwine.it - 93 pts - SB: *Intense ruby ​​red with a lighter edge. On the nose, squeezed blackberry and cherry, sweeter notes almost reminiscent of honey. The dominance on the palate of the savory component is clear. Overall, the drink is fresh and agile.* - 06/2021