1982 Haut Bages Liberal

A wonderful sleeper of the vintage, the 1982 is one of my all-time favorite Haut Bages Liberals. Still a dense plum/garnet color, it exhibits a big, smoky kiss of licorice, cassis, and roasted herbs in its fat, fleshy, full-bodied personality. Offering plenty of glycerin, a heady sweetness to the tannins, and a plump, luscious style, it is drinking beautifully and aging much more slowly than I expected. It should remain at this level for another 5-10 years if stored in a cold cellar. Release price: ($85.00/case) Jun 2009, www.robertparker.com

The 1982 Haut-Bages Libéral is one of the good ones, even at 42 years old. Proprietor Claire Villars-Lurton poured a bottle when I recently visited the Pauillac estate. She told me that this was the first vintage made by her mother, Bernadette Merlaut, after her grandfather had acquired the Pauillac estate that autumn, so understandably, Villars-Lurton has a strong sentimental attachment to the wine. This bottle showed much better than a couple of bottles I tasted over a decade earlier. Now displaying modest bricking on the rim, the bouquet is fully mature with vestiges of red fruit commingling with red brick and light brown leafy scents. There is real presence and cohesion, though it’s decidedly “old school” in style, with just a touch of algae. The palate follows in a similar fashion. It’s a little rustic yet harmonious, with fine tannins and decent weight, revealing light tobacco notes mixed with desiccated orange peel. It is drinking beautifully now and will appeal to those who mourn the loss of traditional claret. That said, I would not leave bottles too much longer.