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2018 Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Medium Bodied
  • Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (35%), Petit Verdot (5%), Cabernet Franc (5%)
Not ready (Drink 2032 - 2078)
Antonio Galloni
94-97
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
96-98+/100
Jeb Dunnuck
97-100
James Suckling
97-98/100
Product: 20188006996

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2018 Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Description

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.

Drink 2027 - 2058

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (October 2023)

Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2018
Maturity Not ready (2032 - 2078)
Grape List Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (35%), Petit Verdot (5%), Cabernet Franc (5%)
Body Medium Bodied
Producer Château Haut-Bailly

Critics reviews

Antonio Galloni 94-97
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. antonio_galloni, Vinous.com
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW 96-98+/100
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, crme 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.Lisa Perrotti-Brown - 23/04/2019
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, (Apr 2019)
Jeb Dunnuck 97-100
A wine that's going to flirt with perfection, the 2018 Château Haut-Bailly is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 5% Each of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, brought up in 60% new French oak. Hitting 14.5% alcohol, its deep purple color is followed by a fabulous bouquet of pure crème de cassis, crushed violets, white flowers, graphite, and damp earth. An incredibly powerful, opulent wine, it nevertheless has sensational purity as well as the freshness and elegance that's the hallmark of this terrific estate. It will drink well in just a few years yet keep for 20-25 years or more. Jeb Dunnuck
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com
James Suckling 97-98/100
Incredible depth of fruit to this with a center palate that shows superb character and texture. I love the hazelnut and coffee-bean undertones to the beautiful fruit, which shows great finesse. Full-bodied yet compact and tight, giving a sense of agility and flight to the wine. Extremely tight and polished tannins. james_suckling
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

About this wine

Cabernet Sauvignon

The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.
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Pessac-Léognan

Pessac-Léognan

In 1986 a new communal district was created within Graves, based on the districts of Pessac and Léognan. Pessac-Léognan has the best soils of the region, very similar to those of the Médoc, although the depth of gravel is more variable, and contains all the classed growths of the region. Some of its great names, including Ch. Haut-Brion, even sit serenely and resolutely in Bordeaux's southern urban sprawl.
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Chateau Haut-Bailly

Château Haut-Bailly is a Graves Cru Classé estate that has really hit form in the last 5-7 years. Haut-Bailly was bought by the Sanders family in 1955 and was run by Jean Sanders until 1998 when Robert G. Wilmers, an American banker, purchased it. It is located in the commune of Léognan, which is usually more associated with white wine production.
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