Chapelle de Haut Bages Liberal, Pauillac 2022

The "Haut-Bages" part of the name comes from the fact that the estate sits on the highest part of the lieu-dit of Bages, with "Libéral" being the name of the family who acquired it in the 1700s. By the 1800s the winemaking had grown significantly in prestige and reputation being awarded the status of Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification. After years of passing through the hands of different owners, it made its way to Jacques Merlaut who bequeathed it to his grand-daughter Claire Villars-Lurton in 2000. Claire is particularly known for her laser focus on sustainability and biodiversity, following biodynamic practices from 2007, organic certification came in 2019 and biodynamic certification 2021. Together with her husband, Gonzague Lurton, Claire runs several prestigious Bordeaux chateaus and is now responsible for the largest area of certified Biodynamic vineyards in Bordeaux. In 2022, Decanter described her as "one of Bordeaux's most exciting winemakers, leading the way in agroforestry and agroecology as another way to create healthier vines for the future." 

Well that’s all very well I hear you saying but what about the wines? Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal itself we have carried on and off for a number of years and it represents really great value at cru classé level but the wine that really impressed was the 2nd wine, Chapelle de Haut Bages Liberal 2022. It’s plush and approachable – fruit forward but with some real backbone that suggests it could be around for a while given the opportunity. Rated 92/100 by both Decanter Magazine and US writer James Suckling.