Château Haut Bailly - Pessac-Léognan 2015

Jancis Robinson

17,5 / 20

byJulia Harding MWthe11/8/2017

Mid crimson. Delicately leafy dark fruit, immediate impression of elegance and purity. Scented on the palate too. Harmonious and refined, with everything in place for a long life and already finely balanced between the restrained dark fruit, the super-fine tannins and a long fresh finish.

Vinifera

5 / 5

the5/31/2016

Superbe bouche, d’une grande plénitude, avec la trame très racée des cabernet, il est ascendant, séveux. Finale d’une grande fraîcheur. C’est un vin étincelant qui fait partie des meilleurs de son appellation. Une très grande réussite de la propriété!

Decanter.com

97 / 100

byJane Ansonthe5/2/2016

The Graves wine of the vintage (along with Haut-Brion’s red). A structural, sensual, expansive wine. Dense but deft, 3.75pH, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and for the first time this year a new plot of 4% Petit Verdot (young vines but already powerful and spicy). Incredible persistency. Picking dates were 15 September for the first Merlot grapes and 8 October for the last Cabernets, allowing for a truly relaxed pace. Represents 55% of total crop. Double the usual rain in August after four months of serious deficit, then back to half of normal rainfall for both September and October (44mm instead of 90mm) – which is why director Véronique Sanders said for the first time ‘August rains saved the vintage’. This has the potential to be upscored when in bottle.2025-2042

Bettane & Desseauve

18 / 20

the4/28/2016

Très belle richesse de sève, ensemble plus immédiatement harmonieux en primeur que dans les millésimes récents et doté de l’assise tannique très racée qu’on aime dans ce cru. Encore un peu compact quand même. Grande garde garantie.

Vinous

95-97 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/27/2016

The 2015 Haut-Bailly is remarkably vivid for such a big wine. Firm beams of tannin give the 2015 much of its shape and overall energy, both of which the 2015 needs to balance its superb concentration. Sweet floral and spice notes give lift to the unctuous red cherry jam, pomegranate and blueberry flavors. The 2015 is likely to need quite a bit of time to come together, but it is already a very special wine. Even with all of its obvious depth, the 2015 retains gorgeous freshness. In 2015, the blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the first time Petit Verdot has appeared in the blend.

Jancis Robinson

18 /

byJancis Robinsonthe4/26/2016

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Very dark, luscious colour - one of the most distinctive colours of all! Savoury and not forced but awfully attractive. Round and fresh. Very nicely assembled. Definitely Graves. Long and very 'cashmere'! Real lift yet intensely ripe fruit too. Very neat! 13.6% Drink 2025-2045

The Wine Cellar Insider

97 / 100

the4/23/2016

With an excellent depth of color, this wine displays smoke, blackberries, boysenberry, cigar box, spice, caramel and forest floor. Full-bodied with deep flavor, freshness and length. The tannins are refined, but noticeable. This will take time to develop, soften and come around, but based on previous vintages, given time, this should do exactly that. The finish is all about the sweet, ripe, pure, dark, red and black fruits, cocoa and cherry liqueur you find easily in the endnotes. From a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot , this wine reached 13.6% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The Grand Vin was produced from 50% of the harvest, which took place from September 15 to October 8. 96 - 98 Pts

timatkin.com

96 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe4/20/2016

René Gabriel

19 / 20

the4/10/2016

60 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 36 % Merlot, 4 % Petit Verdot. Sattes Purpur-Granat, lila Schimmer aussen. Florales, tiefwürziges Bouquet, schwarze Pfefferkörner, Brombeeren, etwas Frisches schwingt mit in Form von Fliedernuancen. Im zweiten Ansatz Edelhölzer in verschwenderischer Form und dann greift er definitiv in die Tiefe mit Trüffel, Rauch und Teernuancen. Grossartiger Gaumen mit einer perfekten Adstringenz, blau bis schwarzbeerig aber auch in sich verlangend und trocken, also mit sehr klassischen Anlagen. Kein Frühzünder und somit ein barocker Haut-Bailly der schier alten Schule mit dem heutigen Know-How. Wir verkosteten auch den Zweitwein, den La Parde und hier hat man deutlich gemerkt, dass eine gnadenlose Separation der nicht ganz ausgereiften Tannine und dem zu verdünnenden Cabernet Franc gemacht wurde. Wer nicht warten kann, soll die Finger davon lassen. 19/20 2025 – 2048

Jamessuckling.com

98-99 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2016

This is a vivid and powerful red with lots of bright fruit and spice character. Full body, chewy tannins and loads of fruit on the finish. Firm and focused tannins. Lots of energy and vibrance. Spice and violet leaf undertone. Pure fruit. Pure structure.

Wine Advocate

95-97 / 100

byNeal Martin

The 2015 Haut Bailly is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot (Véronique Sanders told me that the latter was planted three years ago.) My sample included 80% new oak, but there will be 50% in the final blend. Deep in color, the bouquet is very intense with multilayered blackberry, blueberry, crème de cassis and subtle black olive aromas, introverted at first but soon racing out of the blocks with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, quite firm tannin. This is an Haut-Bailly with real backbone, real sense of purpose. It could have tipped over into being overpowering due to that intense Merlot, but the acidity keeps everything in check and the finish demonstrates wonderful tension. In particular, the aftertaste is incredibly long in the mouth. This Haut Bailly is up there with the 2009 and 2010 - a bravura Pessac-Léognan destined for long-term ageing. Do yourself (and the wine) a favor and cellar it for 12 years, drinking the 2012 or 2013 before reaching for this. Drink 2027-2065