CRITIC REVIEWS
Antonio Galloni
The 2021 Haut-Bages Liberal is a powerful, dense wine. Black cherry, mocha, plum, licorice and incense are all amplified in a brooding, dense Pauillac endowed with notable textural richness and tons of sheer power. Aeration releases the wine's bracing acidity and aromatics, yet the 2021 remains quite rich. Yields were just 31.5 hectoliters-per-hectare, about 30% lower than normal. Haut-Bages Liberal is a rare 2021 that needs time to shed some of its considerable baby fat. It's a seriously impressive wine from Claire Lurton. The 2021 was aged 40% in new oak, 40% in once-filled barrels and 20% in a combination of amphora and concrete vat.
JancisRobinson.com
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot. 30 hl/ha. Cask sample.Clearly marked by the Cabernet component. Dark and reasonably substantial but a passage of prise de bois leaves the palate a touch dry for the moment. Substantial fruit, though, and well-honed tannins. Potential for the medium term. (JL)

