2018 Chateau Haut Bages Liberal Pauillac Grand Cru Classes Bordeaux 750 ml

This might come as a shock, but top-tier, collectible Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux—the kind that will develop beautifully in your cellar for decades—is not out of reach! This 2018 Château Haut-Bages-Libéral is a Left Bank classed-growth that James Suckling called “a triumph,” awarding it the same 97-point score as wines that cost two to four times as much.

The key to quality at Pauillac’s Fifth Growth Haut-Bages-Libéral is its superb terroir, which has been farmed biodynamically for years and earned Demeter certification in 2019. Thirty hectares of vines south of Pauillac are divided into two plots, with the first on the prestigious Bages plateau behind Pichon-Baron. The other half of the vineyard rests on perfectly draining gravel soils overlooking the Gironde, contiguous to First Growth Chateau Latour. In 2018, these ripened 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot to perfection.

2018 was a splendid vintage on the Left Bank, with Napa-like weather through the summer that gave generous, opulent wines along the lines of great years like 2009. The season was, however, one of the driest on record since 1996, with warm, arid conditions continuing through September and October. The team at Haut-Bages-Libéral was able to pick at their leisure, and only the best fruit went into this Grand Vin—the rest went into the château’s three different “second” wines.

We can’t think of a smarter buy for long-term cellaring than the 2018 Haut-Bages-Libéral. Easily among the best wines ever made at the domaine, it’s a classic expression of Cru Classé Bordeaux that will continue to evolve and improve for 30 years or more.