2021 Haut-Bages Liberal (Pauillac)

Containing fully 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Haut-Bages-Libéral offers up aromas of rich berries, plums, loamy soil, licorice and spices. Medium to full-bodied, lively and youthfully primary, with lively acids and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish, I suspect it will flesh out nicely with élevage to number among the sleepers of the vintage. Tasted twice. 91-93 points

The 2021 Haut-Bages Libéral contains the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever, the Merlot having been affected by the mildew. Matured in 40% new oak, 40% one-year-old barrels and 20% amphorae, this is curiously Margaux-like, almost more than Durfort-Vivens! Floral and elegant, opening nicely with aeration without pushing the accelerator hard. The palate is medium-bodied and very smooth in texture, maybe just needing a little more tension, but there is decent weight and a cohesive, chalky finish. Very fine, though I lean more toward the Durfort-Vivens this year. 90-92 points

The 2021 Haut-Bages Libéral is one of the best wines I have ever tasted from Claire Lurton. Dense, powerful and explosive, with dazzling intensity Haut-Bages Libéral races across the palate, offering up an enticing mélange of ripe red-fleshed fruit, blood orange, cedar and spice. Bright acids lend vibrancy throughout a Pauillac I won`t soon forget tasting. Haut-Bages Libéral is one of my early favorites on the Left Bank in 2021. Yields were 30 hectoliters per hectare versus the more typical 40 or so, not a bad result at all for the year given the biodynamic farming practices in place. 94-96 points

You are clearly in Pauillac with this wine, with an earthy, soy and cold ash feel, along with blackberry fruits, chewy tannins and clear density. Impressive, 40% new oak, 20% amphoras for ageing. Harvest September 16 to October 7. Technical director Thomas Bontemps. 91 points