2009 La Fleur de Haut-Bages Liberal

[hotwine]

Had picked up half a dozen btls of this at Costco a couple of weeks ago for about $23 per and we tried a few days ago with some beefy sumthin, can't remember whut. Notes I had read said pop -n- pour, so did that, let air for all of an hour before slurpin. Recognizable as Bordeaux but kind of disappointing, just not a lot of depth there. She liked it so guess that will be good enough. It's a Paulliac and I'm real partial to St Julien so maybe that's my problem.

[TheEngineer]

I'm guessing that this is the second wine of Haut-Bage Liberal. The unfortunate thing is that HBL use to occupy the $25-30 slot. Now it takes their second wine to get there. I generally avoid second wines unless it is the comtesse or something like Pagode de Cos. I worry that for the lower end bordeaux's they just barely have enough for the first bottle that the second won't be as good. I just instead buy lower still.

For a GREAT 2009 bordeaux under $25, there are a few, I would do Chateau Les Grands Chenes which I paid $19 a bottle. It is compelling Bordeaux, their first (and i think only bottling) and it should please the masses as well as the bordeaux buffs.

[hotwine]

Paid $11.69 for the LGC in '04, still have a few.

[hotwine]

That was the '01 bought in '04.

[TheEngineer]

Nice! Prices have goneup slightly.....