Winemaker Notes
The color is dense and deep. The nose is precise and sumptuous. Aromas of red and black berries mingle with a minty touch. On the palate, the tannins are fine and coated with aromas of blackberry and raspberry. The palate is full and silky. A very long finish with an incredible depth.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very chewy and long already with ripe tannins and plenty of fruit suggesting tobacco and blackcurrant character. Long finish. From biodynamic grapes. Rating: 94-95
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich tannins, generous black fruits and an opulent character mark out this wine. Under the same winemaking team as Ferrière and La Gurgue in Margaux, this exceptional wine comes from an estate that is now biodynamic. Drink this wine from 2025.
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Decanter
What a lovely run of Pauillacs in this vintage; hefty, deep, not subtle at this early stage, with chewy tannins, and long lives ahead. Not charming wines, but powerful. At Haut-Bages Libéral they're undergoing conversion to organic and biodynamic. They harvested right through until 19 October in 2016, and here the rich damson fruit and tannins are enrobed by oak, with some heat on the finish. Matured in 40% new oak. Eric Boissenot consults.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Haut Bages Liberal has a very focused and much more sumptuous bouquet than in previous years, thankfully without dispensing any of its character. It just seems more confident on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, pretty blackberry and boysenberry fruit laced with a touch of oyster shell, sashaying towards a quite elegant finish with admirable depth. You would not describe this as a potentially exciting Pauillac, but I suspect it will be delicious once in bottle. Rating: 90-92
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Wine Spectator
This is a sleek, almost brisk-styled Pauillac, with bright iron and chalk notes flanking a core of red currant, cherry and violet flavors. Persistent and defined, just frankly taut in style, so be prepared. Best from 2024 through 2038.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.
While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.
Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.
Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.