Château Haut Bailly, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan, 2016

Name: Château Haut Bailly, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan
Brand: Château Haut Bailly
Price: 615.53 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2006 2009 2010 2016 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

justerini & brooks tasting note

Veronique Sander's Haut Bailly has become a little divisive in recent years. The purists really admire the finesse and structure, but others have found some wines a bit hard work. Haut Bailly behaves like a mini Haut Brion - it is all tightly wound and reserved when tasted from barrel, but with bottle age, this blossoms and grows in stature. 2016 seemed to convert some detractors to devotees. Yes this is still fine boned, mineral and classic, but there's a little bit more make-up, a bit more gloss and polish that makes this appealing to a wider audience. Notes of roses, graphite and fine dark fruits leap from the glass - this is more expressive than usual. On the palate there are swathes of silky, refined fruit, raspberry liqueur, a touch of spice and gravelly minerality. This is very smart and serious. The tannins are mouth coating and powerful and are laced with persistent cranberries and lingonberries. Excellent! 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.

critic reviews

100/100Jane Anson,The Wine Independent

To kick off the 50 year retrospective of Haut-Bailly, we began with this exceptional 2016 (we had also tried the fragrant and nuanced 2019 in the tasting room). Still concentrated and powerful, its structure and poise is a clear reminder that the vintage sets the bar as one of the greatest Haut-Baillys in recent history. Fabulous wine, with layers of black olive paste, blueberry fruit, crayon, cigar box, luscious but still reserved, will go for decades. Harvest September 26 to October 18. Denis Dubourdieu's last year as consultant, Gabriel Vialard winemaker, Véronique Sanders director, 55% new oak for ageing.

DRINKING WINDOW 2025 - 2045

date of review 06/2025

99/100Jane Anson,Inside Bordeaux

Remains fairly closed at eight years old, with a clear and muscular tannic frame, almost more different in character from the 2015 than they were in the early years, with the 2015 clearly getting to its drinking window more quickly. This one is exceptional quality, reserved and brooding, but with whispers of gunsmoke and violet flowers, and a ton of blueberry and blackberry fruit, juicy and drawn out, laced with pencil lead and slate. You need patience, but it is shaping up to be among the greatest vintages of the property. Harvest September 26 to October 18. Denis Dubourdieu's last year as consultant, Gabriel Vialard winemaker.

DRINKING WINDOW 2028 - 2050

date of review 09/2024

95+/100Neal Martin,Vinous

The 2016 Haut-Bailly has a concentrated bouquet with more floral scents than its peers, violets and iris petals infusing the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Quite mineral-driven, leading to a vibrant finish full of tension. There is classy winemaking behind what is clearly a very classy wine. It might have shut down in recent months, hence my slightly lower score, but expect that to rise again. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2050

date of review 08/2020

98/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2016 Haut-Bailly is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. The nose opens with beautiful floral notes of violets and lavender accented with earthy notions and sparks of crushed rocks over a core of kirsch, cassis and wild blueberries. Full-bodied, rich and seductive, it has layer upon layer of red, black and blue fruits intermingled with earth and mineral hints leading to a very long, perfumed finish.

DRINKING WINDOW 2023 - 2046

date of review 11/2018