Appreciated and expensive Burgundy got a rival with whom she can’t compete. It’s about the 2015 vintage of Liber Pater worth €30,000 ($34,110) a bottle which is seven times more expensive than previous prices commanded by the Bordeaux estate.
Made from ungrafted, autochthonous varieties such as Castets, Tarney-Coulant and Pardotte that were once grown in Bordeaux, Liber Pater’s founder Loïc Pasquet claims he has recaptured the taste of true pre-Phylloxera Bordeaux.
Liber Pater
Pasquet explained that he had even planted the varieties at the traditional higher planting density of 20,000 vines per hectare.
For reference, most vineyards in Bordeaux today would have 8,000-11,000 vines/ha and bush vines in arid conditions can be as low as 3,000-6,000 plants/ha.
Liber Pater targets an affluent clientele looking for an experience whose price is commensurate with its uniqueness. As for value for money, “the debate is endless. It’s just a question of supply and demand. If people buy it, it’s their choice”, countered Fabrice Bernard, president of the online sales website Millésima, which markets bottles of Liber Pater. The merchant will not list the 2015 vintage, but confirms that he has had American, Asian and Russian customers buying Liber Pater for €4,300 including tax. “The wine is good, its price is made possible by very low volumes”, stressed Fabrice Bernard.
Liber Pater
