In 1998, the Wilmers family, an American banker, purchased Haut-Bailly and entrusted full management to Veronique Sanders, granddaughter of the original owner. By the 2000s, Haut-Bailly's quality had reached a remarkable level. With most of its equipment replaced with more modern, precision winemaking equipment, 2004 marked a major turning point for the estate. From that vintage onward, Haut-Bailly's performance was reborn, catapulting it to the top of the Graves region. Not only did it receive Parker ratings of 95 points for two consecutive years in 2005 and 2006, but in 2008, it even achieved a Parker score of 96, the highest in Passec-Léognan, alongside Haut-Brion, one of the five major estates in the same village. Haut-Bailly regained its former glory and once again took its place at the top of Passec-Léognan's elite wineries.
Region
As a statutory sub-region of Bordeaux, Pessac Leognan should be considered the youngest. It has only been 30 years since it became an independent production area in 1987, but this youngest production area is enough to stand out from the rest. The Pessac-Leognan wine region originally belonged to two wine villages under the Graves wine region: Pessac and Leognan. As early as 1855, when Bordeaux was classified as a Grand Cru, three of the four First Growths were in the Medoc. The only one that was not in the Medoc was Haut-Biron (also known as Haut-Biron). Chateau Haut-Brion is located in Pessac Wine Village.
Pessac-Léognan once belonged to the Graves production area, so their soil quality is very similar, a mixture of clay and gravel. The terrain is relatively flat and the climate is relatively warm. The soil has good drainage and is suitable for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. Graves is very close to the Pessac-Léognan region, but the Pessac-Léognan region is separated from the Medoc by a Bordeaux city.
The most renowned appellation in Graves was once Pessac-Leognan. In 1953, in order to compete with the star Medoc 1855 classification, Graff developed its own classification and revised the final version in 1959.
The 1959 classification nominated 13 red wine chateaux and 9 white wine chateaux respectively. Excluding the duplications, all 16 chateaux come from the two villages of Pesac and Leogan. This has greatly enhanced the competitiveness of the Graves appellation and also laid the groundwork for the two villages to merge and become an independent appellation in 1987.
After independence, Pesak and Leorian did not adopt a new classification method but merely continued Graff's classification from 1959. The 16 wineries in the classification are all listed in alphabetical order and are all highly competitive and outstanding wineries in the world today.
Tasting notes: Leather, tobacco, oak, and earthy notes. The 2010 vintage has a strong, aged feel. It's powerful, with hints of minty liquorice. The finish is also incredibly powerful and not disappointing.
James Suckling 99
Complex and expressive nose, offering red and dark fruit, spices and pepper with wood and mushroom undertones. Fresh mussel shell and a hint of ink, too. Full-bodied with a fine texture and great balance between the acidity and the controlled, tannic structure. Very long finish. Goes on and on. Tiny production, 21 hectoliters per hectare. Try after 2025.
Jeb Dunnuck 99
I seriously considered putting one more point on the 2018 Château Haut-Bailly, and for all practical purposes, it's as good as it gets. Based on 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it has a majestic, full-bodied, multi-dimensional profile as well as a blockbuster bouquet of currants, chocolate-covered cherries, iron, tapenade, and smoked tobacco. It has a sunny, exuberant, uber-sexy style, yet it's not over the top, and it has perfect ripeness (not overripe or underripe), beautiful tannins, and flawless overall balance. It's approachable today yet should hit maturity in another 4-5 years and have a broad 30-40 years of prime drinking window.
Decanter 98
This is a serious 2018, structured, layered and full of Haut-Bailly signature. The texture is striking, with the silkiness emphasised by a pH of 3.87 and a relatively high alcohol that is effortlessly integrated into the body of the wine. The complexity builds slowly through the palate but the persisting feeling is of menthol, a lifting off and peeling back of the intensity, revealing the fresher more nuanced notes underneath. There's a lot of the 2015 character here, in terms of its enjoyable structure and generous fruit, but it's more like 2016 in its serious finish, and there's no question that this will age well.
Vinous 97
The 2018 Haut-Bailly soars out of the glass, showing magnificent poise that only grows withtime. Sweet, perfumed aromafics, silky tannins and mid-weight structure add to itsconsiderable allure. Ripe red berry fruit, spice, blood orange, licorice, cedar, tobacco andmenthol are all woven together in an effortless, classy Haut-Bailly that delivers the goods. lsuppose the 2018 doesn't quite have the explosive energy of the very best years, but it morethan makes up for that with its sensual, seductive personality.
Wine Advocate 96
The 2018 Haut-Bailly is blended of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, and it has 14.4% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to unlock a powerhouse of black fruit preserves, offering notes of blackberry pie, crème de cassis and black cherry compote, giving way to nuances of Chinese five spice, camphor, chocolate box and licorice with a touch of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with plush textured, rich black fruits, supported by a lively backbone and finishing long and spicy. It is decadently tempting to drink now, but give it 5 years in bottle to begin to see its full glory, while it should continue to transform for a further 20 years or more in cellar.
