2024, Château Haut-Bages Libéral, PAUILLAC, Grand Cru Classé

Bordeaux Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc (1%).

The 2024 Haut-Bages Libéral was cropped at 30 hl/ha between September 24 and October 4. It's due to be aged for 12 months in 63% new oak barrels and 37% in ovoid amphoras. This has a lucid purple hue. The nose is a little timid at first but opens with a few swirls of the glass, revealing blackberry, wild hedgerow and light tobacco scents. The palate is medium-bodied, reserved in style and grainy in texture, with lighter tannins than the previous vintages and a graphite-infused finish. Unashamedly classic Pauillac in style, this is a successful biodynamic wine that has a spring in its step. 91-93 Neal Martin, Vinous (2025).

The 2024 Haut-Bages Libéral is a classy, polished wine. Silky contours meld around a core of succulent red-toned fruit, white pepper, blood orange and cinnamon. The 2024 is airy and a bit lighter texturally than most vintages, but all the signatures of the property are quite present. 91-93 Antonio Galloni, Vinous (2025).

Drinking Window: 2025 - 2040