Château Haut Bailly, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan
    Château Haut Bailly

    Château Haut Bailly, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan,

    Destination

    vintage

    Château Haut Bailly, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan, 2017

    Justerini & Brooks Tasting note
    Château Haut Bailly, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan, 2017

    Veronique must have been doing some DIY in the chateau, there was a distinct aroma of MDF in the Haut Bailly 2017. Apart from the aisles of B&Q, this also conjured up notes of cherry liqueur and gravel. Although difficult to assess on the nose, the palate displays clearly the class of this terroir. This is so pure and lavish at the same time as being tight knit and reserved. The fruit is refined and engaging; sweet cassis and cranberry tantalize the taste buds before the exceptional tannins gently caress with detailed black and red fruits and hints of stones. Classy and refreshing, with wonderful tension and energy. Superb!

    ABV:
    13%
    98/100
    Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
    Ruby violet colour, beautiful glass-staining purple; right up there among the best wines of the vintage. Serious structure and tannic architecture delivered with finesse. Plenty of estate signature also in its depth and poise, showing clarity, purity and precision to the blackcurrant, bilberry, blackberry and pomegrantage fruits, spiced chocolate and bitter aniseed and frangipane on the finish. An upscore from En Primeur. One to savour.
    Date Reviewed:
    02/2023
    Drinking Window:
    2029 - 2050
    99/100
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
    A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Haut-Bailly is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a bit of swirling to coax out notions of black cherry compote, blackcurrant pastilles, and blackberry preserves, giving way to fragrant wafts of violets, dark chocolate, cardamom, and sassafras, with a touch of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in poise, delivering tightly wrapped black fruit, exotic spice and floral layers, with a super-plush texture and seamless acidity, finishing very long with loads of mineral sparks and tons of energy.
    Date Reviewed:
    03/2023
    Drinking Window:
    2028 - 2064
    96/100
    Neal Martin, Vinous
    The 2020 Haut-Bailly showed extremely well when I tasted it at my home during lockdown. Now in bottle since spring 2022, it upholds a wonderful bouquet with multi-layered black fruit laced with briary, flint, blood orange and light peony scents. That orange element becomes a touch more pronounced with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine backbone, brimming with energy and remaining harmonious from start to finish. This is a long-term prospect, an achievement considering that this was supposed to be vinified in their new winery, but due to Covid delays ended up being vinified in their old facility (though barrel maturation was able to be done in the new cellar.)
    Date Reviewed:
    02/2023
    Drinking Window:
    2030 - 2065

    specifications

    country:
    France
    region:
    Bordeaux
    Appellation:
    style:
    Grape Variety:
    Allergen Information:
    This product may contain sulphites. Full allergen information is available upon request, please call our Customer Relations Team on +44 (0)20 7484 6430.
    Château Haut Bailly

    Château Haut Bailly

    A recent tour of Haut Bailly’s splendid new cellars rekindled our passion for these wines. The charming Veronique Sanders, the fourth generation of the Sanders clan to manage the estate, gave us a guided tour, and what a cellar it is. Blending into the surroundings with its camouflaged, living roof, this is both state of the art and sympathetic to the rolling vineyards of Leognan. It has also had an immediate effect on the wines. The challenging 2021 season has resulted in a triumph.

    From the herb garden atop the cellar, one can survey the 30 hectares of vines. Although this is comprised of one block, this can be split up into 52 individual parcels. The new winery affords Veronique and her team the ability to vinify plot by plot. A terroir of predominantly gravel, sandstone, and sand over limestone, is planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere. Most of the vineyards are exactly as they were when the estate was founded in 1630, with just two small additions in 1958 and 2005. Much of the rootstock was planted by Daniel Sanders (Veronique’s grandfather), but there is one parcel with vines dating back to the turn of the 20th century, reputedly some of the oldest vines in Leognan.

    2021 marks a new and exciting chapter for Haut Bailly. The chateau looks well placed to continue the good work of the late ‘Bob’ Wilmers, both protecting its environment and its future.

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