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Château Haut-Bailly 2018

Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac Leognan, France

Château Haut-Bailly
Pessac Leognan France
  • 98
    Points
  • The 602 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 6 Pros of
    6 recommend
    this wine
129 98
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    507

  • Producer ranking ?

    2

  • Decanting time

    4h

  • When to drink

    from 2025

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98 DECANTER: "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. Th...

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The Story

There are few places where terroir truly affects production but Château Haut-Bailly is definitely one of those. Château Haut-Bailly has a distinctive style that harmoniously combines classicism with modernity, elegance, finesse and softness with structure. The silky smoothness of the tannins echoes the elegant yet complex aromas.


Château Haut-Bailly has great ageing potential and consistently wins praise from experts who agree that it off...

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

Ruby. Dark fruity nose, very fruit driven, blackberries, cassis, blueberries, some spices, minerals, truffles, freshly ground coffee touch, faint of dark chocolate nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, lush, rich, deep, intense, lots of phenolics, structured yet smooth, aftertaste travels between satin, velvet and silk and then back again. Long, incredibly long. 97

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  • 97p

Haut Bailly - 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Struck by mildew and hail during the growing season, and because the vineyard is organically farmed, the yield per ha landed at app. 21 hl. It is powerful and concentrated with a strong backbone, cigar box, mineral with obvious graphite flavour, fabulous structure, complexity, and length. Sophisticated touch to it. Exceptional stuff. 97-98p (97-98p).

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  • 98p

Deep colour. Perfect claret style with intense blackcurrant plum graphite aromas with some savoury notes, fine graphite grainy tannins and underlying vanilla oak. Tannins are plentiful but perfectly ripe with some al dente notes and plenty of thrust. Elemental but voluminous needing time to meld. Sine inky mineral notes at the finish.

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  • 97p

Dark purple red colour with violet hue and almost black core. A dramatic wine with great tension and precision. Complex character, multi-layered fruit, blackcurrants, blackberries and hints of sweet elderberries. Discreet touches of graphite in the background. Subtle oak adding to the wine's elegance. On the palate impressing structure, elegance and freshness, great depth and excellent length, sweet yet firm tannins, hints of mild spices. 

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  • 98p
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Information

Origin

Léognan, Pessac Leognan

Inside Information

96-98+ THE WINEADVOCATE: "The 2018 Haut-Bailly is blended of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Grapes were harvested September 17 to October 9, and the wine has 14.4% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it opens slowly with profound notions of Black Forest cake, crème de cassis, roasted nuts and black olives, unfurling to reveal notions of menthol, crushed rocks, molten licorice and chargrilled meat plus a hint of lilacs. Full-bodied, rich and densely laden with layer upon layer of vibrant black fruits and mineral nuances, it has a solid backbone of firm, velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with compelling restraint and exciting energy."

95-97 WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This wine initially seems easy and just packed with fruit. As you delve behind the black fruits, the tannins come into play. The considerable structure shows concentration with a dense side that has power and a lighter side that has fresh fruit. The wine should age impressively."

94-97 ANTONIO GALLONI: "The 2018 Haut-Bailly speaks with real authority and class. Deeply spiced notes lead into a core of red/purplish berry fruit, lavender, licorice, new leather, menthol and tobacco. Vivid and dramatic in bearing, the 2018 possesses striking resonance from start to finish. There is plenty of tannin as well, but it is pretty much buried by the sheer luxuriousness of the fruit, while the mid-palate and saline-infused finish show terrific freshness as well as purity. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot."

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