### 1982 & 2001 Haut-Bages Libéral

The 1982 vintage in Bordeaux was a pivotal moment for Bordeaux—the touchpaper that moved the region into the modern age. The only caveat is that, contrary to popular opinion, not every wine was the bee’s knees (what a lovely expression that is). As I have written multiple times in the past, quality was not evenly distributed across all levels of the hierarchy, or even amongst all Grand Cru Classés.

The **1982 Haut-Bages Libéral** is one of the good ones, even at 42 years old. Proprietor Claire Villars-Lurton poured a bottle when I recently visited the Pauillac estate. She told me that this was the first vintage made by her mother, Bernadette Merlaut, after her grandfather had acquired the Pauillac estate that autumn, so understandably, Villars-Lurton has a strong sentimental attachment to the wine. This bottle showed much better than a couple of bottles I tasted over a decade earlier. Now displaying modest bricking on the rim, the bouquet is fully mature with vestiges of red fruit commingling with red brick and light brown leafy scents. There is real presence and cohesion, though it’s decidedly “old school” in style, with just a touch of algae. The palate follows in a similar fashion. It’s a little rustic yet harmonious, with fine tannins and decent weight, revealing light tobacco notes mixed with desiccated orange peel. It is drinking beautifully now and will appeal to those who mourn the loss of traditional claret. That said, I would not leave bottles too much longer. **92** /Drink 2024-2032.

A second bottle was also poured on this occasion. The **2001 Haut-Bages Libéral** is a lucid garnet color and shows little aging. Quite generous on the nose, it offers tobacco-laced red berry fruit, pencil shavings and enticing estuarine scents of fine delineation. The palate has commendable concentration, a lovely sweet core of blackberry and bilberry fruit and a lively, pure finish that suggests it might benefit from another couple of years in bottle. **91** /Drink 2025-2036.



Cellar Favorite: 1982 & 2001 Haut-Bages Libéral

Cellar Favorite: 1982 & 2001 Haut-Bages Libéral (Nov 2024)

ConstantScore(-article_id:{312 381 422 466 735 1092 1114 1146 1208 1209 1210 1231 1235 1241 1242 1245 1249 1258 1261 1276 1283 1298 1302 1312 1321 1325 1338 1601 1734 1980 1998 2164 2193 2198 2268 2425 2529 2566 2825 2994 3120 3140 3371 3977 4341} #producer.id:21832 #article_id:[4283 TO 4283])

DocValuesFieldExistsQuery [field=_primary_term]

Haut-Bages Libéral

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social