WTN: Ch. Haut-Bages Liberal 1986

I have no experience with Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal and although '86 is a well-regarded year, I've also noted many a scribe's report for this vintage's harshness of tannin, so I was a little surprised by this wine's lithe personality and wonderful resolution. Fully mature but holding an extremely good deep ruby colour with only perceptible lightening in the very outer edge, followed by a solid nose of pencil lead, cedar and weedy blackcurrant with suggestions of freshly turned damp sod, dried herbs and a hint of black olive. The medium-bodied palate offers up a soft but expansive texture, more than enough plummy/curranty fruit underpinned by secondary earthy/herbaceous/cedary characters, low acidity and fully-resolved lacy tannins. The moderately long finish confirms the consistency of everything that has come before - a smooth, rounded wine drinking at the peak of its powers. Nothing startling, but sound, solid and eminently satisfactory. 88 points from me today, this wine should be drunk over the next 3-5 years.

[David M. Bueker]

I wish I had started buying Bordeaux when I was 22.

I wish I had started buying Bordeaux when I was 22.

Same here, David! That would have been, let me count on my fingers ..... 4 plus one minus seven, add 3, carry the one, deduct 9 ..... um ... about 1979. Oh my god, I would have been able to buy all the 1982 Bordeaux first growths for probably around 50 bucks a bottle and everything underneath them for a lot less! If only!

[James Roscoe]

I wish I had started buying Bordeaux when I was 22.

So do I. I would have ben in on the "82s at 23. Of course a buck was a lot harder to come by in those days.

I wish I had started buying Bordeaux when I was 22.

I think that I bought my first at 27 (in time for the '82 vintage) but it still wasn't good enough: not enough money to get more than a few bottles, the last of which went this year ('82 Gruaud-Larose). Thank goodness for auctions and people with CA-oriented palates!

Mark Lipton