92 POINTS: WINE ADVOCATE - Bottled in May, the 2017 Liberty Vin de France is a stellar effort, coming close in quality to the estate's Châteauneuf du
Pape. It's a blend of declassified Châteauneuf fruit with old-vine material from the village of Gadagne, in the Côtes du Rhône. Dark berry and cherry flavors pick up hints of dried spices in this full-bodied, velvety-textured wine.
90 POINTS: WINE SPECTATOR - Ripe and soft, with mouthfilling blackberry and plum paste notes, laced with lavender, tobacco and anise details. Dusty
tannins guide the finish. A fun-filled wine with textbook Rhône character. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. Drink now through 2021. 250 cases imported.
The grapes for Liberty by La Barroche take their roots in the southernmost part of the Rhône valley, next to Châteauneuf de Gadagne and similar to the Crau plateau in Châteauneuf du Pape. The 50-year-old vines grow on Plio-Quaternary terraces covered with river stones, at an altitude of 125 metres, on sun-drenched hillsides, watered by tributaries of the Rhone and windswept by the Mistral. These old vines are warmed by the thick carpet of large river stones and draw all their nourishment from a mixture of sand and red and blue clay, which keeps them cool, even during the hottest seasons. Older generations tell how the mysterious upwelling Fontaine de Vaucluse continues to flow underground across the plateau.The gravity-system cellar was built in 1930. Wine-making in underground concrete vats. Destemming of underripe stalks. The wine stays on the skins for over 4 weeks. Gentle extractions. Aging in old oak casks and 600 liter barrels for approximately 18 months. The wine is not filtered before bottling. Liberty by La Barroche is a full-bodied wine with good structure, character and tight tannins. Its aromas are reminiscent of juicy, black raspberries, violets, and peppery herbs. It is mellow, yet has good acidity and elegant minerality. Liberty by La Barroche is a gastronomic wine with an ageing potential of several decades.
