2009 | Liber Pater | Vin de France

A wine of superb intensity, loads of graphite, unsmoked cigar tobacco, creme de cassis and blackberry as well as toasty oak, the wine is full-bodied, powerful, rich, and certainly meant for considerable aging.

Producer Information

Liber Pater is a high profile producer in the Graves region of Bordeaux, France. Winemaker Loïc Pasquet seeks to make wine in the spirit of pre-phylloxera Bordeaux, using ungrafted vines. The winery is also known for commanding exceptionally high prices. Only 550 bottles were made of the 2015 Liber Pater; of this only a fraction was made available for sale – at €30,000 per bottle. The first release of the flagship wine was the 2006 vintage. It comes from a single-hectare plot. The 2015 vintage was the first to be made entirely from ungrafted vines. Pasquet uses the name Petite Vidure for his ungrafted massal selections of Cabernet Sauvignon, which make up most of the blend. This is to differentiate them from more conventional grafted vines. It also includes a little Petit Verdot and Malbec, plus couple of percent of rare varieties including Castets, Tarney and Saint-Macaire. As the latter are not authorized for the Graves appellation, the wine was labeled as Vin de France. (Castets gained full INAO approval for Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur AOPs in 2021.) The Denarius red cuvée comes from the remaining four hectares. Another 3-ha plot has recently been purchased and is earmarked for this wine. A dry white wine – around 95 percent Sémillon – was made in 2009 and 2010, a sweet white in 2007 and 2011. Emphasis is placed on matching the right variety to the right soil. This, and the move to entirely ungrafted vines means that picking dates have been very consistent in the last five years, despite the challenges posed by climate change. The ungrafted vines are "only" up to 15 years old. Pasquet feels that optimum vine quality is reached much sooner with ungrafted vines, however, as they develop deep root systems much more rapidly than grafted vines. No chemicals are used in the vineyards, which are certified organic. They are planted very densely at 20,000 plants per hectare. This leaves a gap between rows of 60-80cm (24-32 inches) between vines along the row. They are tended by hand, with mules used for some tasks. Each vine is trained to a stake, rather than along wires. Accordingly winemaking is low intervention, with no added sulfur. There is no oak influence in more recent releases; wine are now fermented and aged in 250- and 400-liter stoneware amphorae. The sandstone material minimizes post-ferment oxidation. Bottles are sealed with Ardeaseal multi-component stoppers for consistent oxygen uptake and thus consistent aging. Pasquet remains a controversial figure in Bordeaux due to his elastic take on rules. The estate's name, Liber Pater, is taken from the ancient Roman god Dionysius and fittingly translates as "the free father".

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