Château Haut-Bages Libéral

Identity

Château Haut-Bages Libéral is an 1855 Cinquième Grand Cru Classé located in Pauillac. It is managed by Claire Villars-Lurton, alongside Thomas Bontemps as technical director, Jean-Luc Mouillac as vineyard manager, and Bruno Ferragu as cellar master. Éric Boissenot serves as consulting oenologist.

History and philosophy

Château Haut-Bages Libéral was founded in the 18th century by the Libéral family of wine brokers. It was classified as a Cinquième Grand Cru du Médoc in 1855. The Villars family acquired the property in 1982. Claire Villars-Lurton has led the estate since 2000. Right from her arrival, a biodiversity-driven approach was implemented, including planting hedgerows and introducing cover crops. Viticultural practices evolved towards agroecology, with the estate now certified organic and biodynamic (Demeter).

Appellations

Château Haut-Bages Libéral produces wines under the Pauillac appellation. The estate also owns plots under the Haut-Médoc appellation, acquired in 2006 and integrated in 2007, with vines located in Vertheuil.

Practical information

Château Haut-Bages Libéral is located at 18, Balogues, 33250 Pauillac. The estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 (0)5 56 59 11 88 and by email at infos@hautbagesliberal.com. The tasting boutique is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. The estate offers direct cellar door sales as well as mail orders. Visits and tastings are available by appointment. A range of wine tourism experiences is offered, including vintage tastings paired with dishes created by chef Vivien Durand, as well as an agroecology tour through the vineyard, kitchen garden, vat room, and cellars.

Lunches and dinners showcasing regional cuisine are also available in the château's dining room.

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The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Haut-Bages Libéral vineyard covers 30 hectares. The grape varieties planted consist of 70% Cabernet-Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. The average age of the vines is 35 years. The terroir is characterised by deep gravel on the Bages plateau and clay-limestone soils around the property. Part of the vineyard overlooks the Gironde, near Latour, while another section lies on the Bages plateau. Autumn cover crops such as mustard, clover, and radish are sown between the rows to enrich the soils and foster biodiversity. The estate aims to achieve 10 hectares of wooded biodiversity corridors by 2030, planting species such as peach, cherry, walnut, and Siberian elm trees. Harvesting is carried out by hand.

Signature cuvées

The estate's grand vin is Château Haut-Bages Libéral, a red wine driven by a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon complemented by Merlot. The blends vary depending on the vintage: for example, the 2022 vintage comprises 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, whereas the 2021 vintage is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. The 2016 vintage featured 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. These wines undergo extended ageing, typically for 16 months, in a combination of new oak barrels, one-wine barrels, and more recently, egg-shaped concrete vats and amphorae.

The second wine is La Chapelle d'Haut-Bages Liberal. Another second wine, La Fleur de Haut Bages Libéral, has also been produced. The estate also crafts a distinctive cuvée, Ceres, Vin Nature - Sans Souffre Ajouté, made from 100% Merlot grown on limestone soils. This cuvée is aged in concrete vats with no added sulphur.

Vinification and ageing

Winemaking practices at Château Haut-Bages Libéral have evolved with the creation of a new cellar. The wines are aged for 16 months. For the grand vin, ageing is generally conducted in 40% new oak barrels, 40% one-wine barrels, and 20% egg-shaped concrete vats and amphorae, as in the 2022, 2020, and 2018 vintages. For the 2017 and 2016 vintages, ageing took place in 40% new oak barrels and 60% one-wine barrels. The Ceres cuvée is aged in concrete vats with no added sulphur.