“A wine that flirts with perfection” – Jeb Dunnuck

Château Haut-Bailly belongs to the Pessac-Léognan appellation, just south of the city of Bordeaux. It is the neighbor of the renowned Château Haut-Brion, offering a very similar taste, but at only a fifth of the price! The vines are over 100 years old, with roots that reach deep into the ground. As a result, the grapes can still ripen well in extreme weather conditions, ranging from heavy rainfall to intense drought. The 2018 vintage is the perfect example of this. Fresh, refined, and layered, with complex aromas and a rare purity. A wine that improves with age.

Tasting note Château Haut-Bailly

In the glass, the wine is an intense purple, almost black. The nose is layered and enormously complex. Dark aromas of black cherries and dark chocolate, roasted nuts, crème de cassis, and black olives. An elegant note of mint and lavender. Minerals, forest leaves, and black truffle. Full-bodied, but not heavy. Juicy core with a spicy and elegant finish. The aftertaste lingers for minutes. “Simply Stunning” – Robert Parker. Pair this wine with red meat, grilled dishes, or mature cheeses. Best enjoyed from about 7 years after the vintage and can be aged for at least 25 years.

Vinification

The Château Haut-Bailly 2018 consists of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot2018 started extremely wet, with a year's worth of rainfall falling in the first five months. The beginning of the summer was hot and humid, causing part of the harvest to be lost to mildew. However, the end of the summer was dry with a long Indian summer, allowing the grapes to ripen perfectly. After the manual harvest and the sorting and destemming of the grapes, fermentation begins in stainless steel tanks. Subsequently, the wine is transferred to barrels for aging. After 16 to 18 months of barrel aging, the best wines are selected and bottled. Due to the low yield of the vines, the grapes are of exceptionally high quality.

Château Haut-Bailly

Haut-Bailly is currently showing excellent performance, with wines known for their balance and complexity. The 30 hectares of vineyards have remained unchanged within the appellation for 400 years. Pessac-LéognanThe château was built in the 19th century by Alcide Bellot des Minières. In 1955, Haut-Bailly was acquired by Daniel Sanders, later followed by his son Jean. In 1998, the estate was taken over by Robert G. Wilmers, who entrusted the management to Véronique Sanders and oenologist Gabriel Vialard. Following Bob’s death in 2017, his son Chris is at the helm.

Awards:

James Suckling on the 2018 vintage – 97-98 points

Robert Parker on the 2018 vintage – 96-98+ points

Decanter on the 2018 vintage – 98 points

Jeb Dunnuck on the 2018 vintage – 97-100 points

Vinous of the 2018 vintage – 94-97 points

Jancis Robinson over oogstjaar 2018 – 17,5/20

Wine Enthusiast on the 2018 vintage – 95-97 points