92 2000 Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal 2/13/09 ($20 on futures, $32 retail)
12.5% alc
Color: Deep garnet with just a tinge of onion skin at the rim. (3.5) Bouquet: Sweet cassis and black ink with smooth, but significant tannins and some gray clay and an herbal component in the mix.(3.5) Body: Excellent fruit and tannin. Chalky tannin and acidity still need time to integrate. Light heavyweight that coats the mouth. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but just a little tart chalk and tannic bitterness showing. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor with excellent length and complexity. (3.0)
Overall: Classic Pauillac having solid body, weight and structure with excellent fruit and terroir. Still a little young, needs 2-4 years, but very tasty now if you decant for an hour or two. Has some minor bitter/chalky tannin/acidity issues at present, but this should integrate with time. This wine is a great value, vintage after vintage. (16.0)