Haut-Médoc de Haut-Bages Liberal 2016

This is a Haut-Médoc with pedigree, made by the same team behind the much-vaunted Château Haut-Bages Libéral. The fruit comes from a single 8-hectare vineyard just north of Pauillac, currently in biodynamic conversion, and it shows all the hallmarks of classic Left Bank Bordeaux. There's fresh, ripe black fruit, cedar, and a touch of spice on the nose, with a medium-full body that balances richness with refreshing acidity. The tannins are smooth and well-integrated, leading to a long, persistent finish. Whether you’re after a reliable Médoc or a gateway into Pauillac’s great wines, this is a good pick.

Drinking beautifully now, this is a great match for classic Bordeaux fare like lamb chops with garlic and rosemary, duck confit, or a hearty mushroom and lentil stew - anything with rich, savoury flavours to play off its mature, earthy notes.

Château Haut-Bages Libéral in the highly regarded Médoc village of Pauillac is one of the fifth growths of the 1855 Bordeaux Classification and produces exemplary wines. With the benefit of a favourable site near to the world-renowned Château Latour the vineyards extend to nearly 30 hectares mostly planted with Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance being mainly Merlot. The fortunes of the estate took a turn for the better in the early 1980s with a change of ownership and since 1999 it's been run by Claire Villars Lurton, who also looks after Châteaux Ferrière and La Gurgue, who has carved out for the estate a reputation for high quality wines that represent superb value for classed growth claret.