Château Haut Bailly, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan, 2022

The grand vin is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc (of course it also includes some Malbec and Carmenère from the 4 hectares of complanted vines, but the exact figure is impossible to quantify), and it accounts for 50% of the crop. The élevage was in 50% new oak and 50% second fill oak barrels. Classical restraint on the nose from this high-flying 2022, with savoury and lightly desiccated black summer fruits laid atop a bed of coffee bean, liquorice, tar and rose petals, all beautifully intertwined. The palate is a delight, polished and very fine, with great integration from the outset, the finely honed core of savoury, tobacco-laced, rose-infused fruit threaded with finely knit but confident tannins, which pervade the middle before they finally come out onto the end of the palate, providing it with a deliciously long, focused and finessed finish. The tannin management here is breathtaking, confident and yet so elegant and tightly knit;clearly one of the strongest examples of Haut-Bailly I have tasted in many years. One for my cellar (I hope!). Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.

DRINKING WINDOW 2030 - 2065

date of review 06/2025

Maintains estate signature, with its silky, velvety tannins, a moment of quiet amid the exuberance of the vintage. Crushed rose petals, dark fruits, slate and crayon, with fennel, incense, finessed tannins, a reflection of the vintage without straying into exuberance. Great winemaking on display. 50% new oak for ageing, harvest September 7 to 27. Veronique Sanders estate director, Gabriel Vialard winemaker.

DRINKING WINDOW 2030 - 2046

date of review 03/2025

The 2022 Haut-Bailly was the second vintage made in the new cellar. It was bottled at the end of March, a little earlier than some other wines in this vintage, as Gabrielle prefers an earlier settling in barrel. This spent the last two months in tank at a cold temperature at the end of the élevage. It has a captivating nose that's so clean and precise, featuring bilberry fruit, crushed stone, light sea spray and estuarine scents. The palate is medium-bodied and very fresh, with crunchy blackberry fruit tones and plenty of sapidity. This has real tension and <em>mineralité</em> from start to finish, yet it is imbued with a sense of weightlessness that distinguishes it from its peers. It is outstanding.

DRINKING WINDOW 2033 - 2065

date of review 02/2025