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Haut-Bailly: Recent & Great Vintages

The Bordeaux primeurs make for a hectic few days of travelling, tasting and scribbling, dashing from one appointment to the next, grabbing the soundbite of the day from proprietor or winemaker as you do so. Those who have the means and the time can string it out to a week or maybe even two, allowing them to ponder languidly each wine and interview each winemaker before putting their notes and carefully considered scores down for all, no doubt neatly calligraphed, quill in one hand, parchment in the other. But the reality for the majority of the journalists and the wine trade who swoop on Bordeaux to taste the wines is a rather more hurried affair. Certainly there is no time for a lazy lunch, and mid-day sustenance is often a sandwich taken en route from one appointment to the next, or occasionally a hastily scoffed plate at one of the UGC tastings.

What a treat then on my final day in Bordeaux to pass a couple of hours at Château Haut-Bailly, in the company of winemaker Gabriel Vialard. It was a dreary day, the grey and mist-heavy sky overhead punctuated only by the occasional shower of rain, the trees in the distance gradually disappearing behind a shadowy grey veil. This seemed par for the course within the context of the 2009 primeurs, a tasting week which had seen the weather swing from warm sunshine to blustering gales, the flooded Garonne bursting its banks at one point. The welcome here was warm though, and Vialard first led me upstairs to the tasting room above the cellars for tasting number one, looking at the recent vintages.

Haut-Bailly: Recent Vintages

This was my second opportunity to take a look at the 2009 vintage (or at least a barrel sample thereof), and my first impressions were confirmed. This vintage has yielded a dense and concentrated but lifted, fresh and perfumed wine at Haut-Bailly, the style (which in this vintage on the left bank is heavily dependent on assemblage) falling very firmly into the richer category, there being 37% Merlot in the blend (the remainder a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc) and the final alcohol 13.4%. This was a style that was predominant in Pessac-Léognan, being taken to the extreme by the likes of de Fieuzal and Malartic-Lagravière, with more finesse in Haut-Bailly and Les Carmes Haut-Brion, for instance, whereas at the opposite end of the spectrum the purer, stonier and more elegant style was personified by Domaine de Chevalier.

Following the 2009 barrel sample came two other very recent vintages, the 2008 and 2007. Neither are ever likely to be considered as 'go-to' vintages, a fact reflected in the assemblage which is in both cases restricted to just Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the ratio being 70:30 for 2008 and 60:40 for 2007. Cabernet Franc was excluded; although it provides a welcome aromatic freshness in great vintages such as 2005 and 2009, the lightness and delicacy it can bring to rich wines such as these is less desirable in lesser years. The first of these two vintages I tasted was the 2008 and this was certainly the more impressive, but we should of course remain cautious in assessing such a wine just as we should with the 2009 barrel samples, as the 2008 had not at the time been bottled. The vintage in question was a late-picked one, the fruit having been brought in from October 24th onwards after a 130-day season (100 days from flowering to harvest is an accepted norm); contrast this with 2009 when the picking began at Haut-Bailly with the Merlots on September 13th and was completed with the Cabernets by mid-October, the finish date at least a week before the starting pistol was even fired in 2008.

Acknowledging the reservations we must hold about barrel samples, the 2008 showed very well. As for the 2007 this also surprised, the wine putting on an attractive face for our tasting. But we should perhaps not be so astounded; although the growing season was marked by some dire weather, the vintage was saved by a long Indian summer, and some good if not profound wines were made. The main problem is that they were priced too high, not that the wines were universally terrible. This latter fact was driven home by a tasted of the second wine, La Parde de Haut-Bailly. La Parde was introduced in 1967 as Domaine de la Parde, renamed La Parde de Haut-Bailly in 1979, and since 1987 its quality has been ameliorated by the production of a third wine, a little-known generic Pessac-Léognan. In 2007 it showed a fresh and quite attractive character which certainly took me by surprise.

Haut-Bailly: Great Vintages

Moving from the chai (above) into the château-proper for lunch and tasting number two, we kicked off with a glass of the 2009 Rosé de Haut-Bailly. This is a saignée cuvée, its existence the result of bleeding off some juice to increase the solid:liquid ration in the vats, thereby enhancing colour and substance in the eventual wine. It is in fact a remarkably fresh and appealing wine considering firstly that it is fashioned purely from Cabernet, and secondly that it is fermented in oak. Thereafter, though, along with lunch, came the real treats.

These treats were three great vintages, all true to the château, all very classically styled, and I found it impossible to drive a wedge between them in terms of absolute intrinsic quality. In terms of their ageing curves they are in very different places though, and so the most delicious to drink now was for me the 1996 Haut-Bailly, showing a fine and mature hue, the nose and palate both loaded with the classic scents and flavours of maturing Graves. I am very content to have some in the cellar (and I must get around to opening some soon)! The 2000, meanwhile, was sitting on that nervous cusp between primary fruit character and secondary development, a very desirable melange of characteristics making this a delight to experience now, even if it really does need another 5-10 years in the cellar before it reveals its true potential. And the third wine in this trio was the 2005, an elegant and yet supremely polished wine which carries both power and finesse, and which should be singing its sultry song most seductively sometime after 2020.

Whilst I have heard traditionalists bemoan a change in style at Haut-Bailly, not a contention with which I disagree, my palate finds the evolution of style at Haut-Bailly to be pleasing. The wines have moved from purity and elegance to these elements plus power and concentration, a disaster if the first two elements are lost along the way but in the case of Haut-Bailly this has not happened. It was interesting to hear over lunch that over a century ago Haut-Bailly was sold alongside Haut-Brion and other first growth estates and was held in similar regard, and so the direction taken by Haut-Bailly in recent years is perhaps more appropriate than at first glance it might seem. The wines are, to my mind and palate, extremely successful, and those largely responsible are manager Veronique Sanders and winemaker Gabriel Vialard. Long may they continue with their efforts.

The wines below were tasted at Haut-Bailly in March 2010, save for two vintages, the 1994 and 1998, both of which were pulled from my cellar after my return home. (25/5/10)

Haut-Bailly: Recent & Great Vintages - Tasting Notes

Tasted in March 2010. All my notes on the wines of Haut-Bailly, including those below, are collated under my Haut-Bailly profile. Click to locate stockists.

Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 2009: Tasted twice, at the UGC tasting and at the château. Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 37% and Cabernet Franc 3%, all fermented at 26°C, cooler than usual, a response to the massive presence of tannins in this vintage. IPT 70, 55% new barrels, alcohol well controlled at 13.4%. A very dark and concentrated hue here. The nose has a warm style of fruit, with a macerated cherry and red-black forest fruit character, although it has perfume too, with some floral elements peeping through the dark exuberance. The palate kicks off in a very ripe and soft style, although richly imbued with tannins, which have a velvety, fur-coat-feel to them. Rich, creamed, honeyed fruit, fresh, the tannins prodigious but very much in harmony with the wine. Fresher on the palate than I expected from the nose though, with quite vigorous acidity balancing out the warm piles of substance. Elegant despite all that texture underneath. Perfumed finish. And it is incredibly long. This is monumental, especially so for Haut-Bailly. Could be a great wine given cellar time. 18-19+/20

Rosé de Haut-Bailly (Bordeaux) 2009: A pure Cabernet wine here, an undeniable salmon-pink hue, but not over the-top in terms of hue. Fresh and aromatic fruit on the nose. The palate has a dry style, clean lines, freshness and some substance. A saignée wine which sees some oak, overall, this is a very nice effort and probably one of the best Cabernet-derived rosés I have ever tasted. 17/20

Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 2008: The blend here is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. This was picked from October 24th - a late harvest in keeping with the vintage which was characterised by a very long growing season which took more than 130 days from flowering to harvest. A deeper character on nose than expected, with crunchy fresh red and dark fruits, along with notes of graphite and gravel. Supple on the palate, quite open and soft, a little loose-knit at present perhaps. Underneath though there is a good substance and a polished grip. Attractive. Lovely fresh fruit, with a little creamy richness to it, and velvety tannins. Overall, very good indeed. This has been fined, and is now ready for bottling. It should drink very nicely in 5-10 years time. 17-17.5/20

Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 2007: This is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. There was no Cabernet Franc in the grand vin this year because this variety, grown on gravelly soil, yields insubstantial wines in lesser years. It tends to come in more useful in richer years. The aromas here are quite classic, a restrained and gravelly perfume. On the palate it seems well polished, approachable, with lightly chalky red fruits tinged with violets, but with good substance to it. A good tannic backbone too, fresh. An admirable style for the vintage. Nice wine. 16.5+/20

La Parde de Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 2007: This has been the second label since 1967. It has seen 15% new oak, for the same length of time as the grand vin. Nice gravelly fruit on nose. The assemblage is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot. Appealing substance. Fresh and quite classic, elegant, a well-honed style. Good tannins, soft and appropriate. Fresh and very drinkable, although with a little grip alongside the freshness found in the finish. 15.5/20

La Parde de Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 2006: Good fruit on the nose here, rather a solid style of wine. The palate has the substance to match, and a nicely poised texture. The fruit here is quite firm, bright red in character, with good concentration. For a second wine in what is not a top vintage, I think this is a very appealing effort. 15.5+/20

Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: An intense nose here, superbly expressive, full of wall-to-wall fruit but also with the complexities of pencil lead and liquorice. Put simply, this has a wonderful style. Despite this intensity on the nose the palate has a very welcome fresh and vibrant character, showing a stunning core of very polished tannins. There is a lot of substance here, very elegant held together, with great lift despite the weight of it all. Deliciously supple broad fruit, and underneath it all there is power too. A fabulous wine which needs another decade before it will be at peak, although it is likely to be approachable a little before then. 18.5+/20

Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 2000: This wine is showing beautifully, with aspects suggesting early maturity, including notes of tobacco, pencil lead and gravelly fruit. The palate is just as fine as these aromas suggest, and it has impressive substance. Nevertheless despite this unfolding of its aromatic profile the palate is still very firm and upright, with lots of grip, good fresh acidity and overall an incredible structure. Very long too. This is obviously a little further on than the 2005, but it is certainly nowhere near peak, and I think it will need a further 5-10 years before it really shows its stuff, by which time it will be magnificent. 18.5+/20

Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 1998: A dark hue in the glass. The nose is divine, and although I left this one in the decanter it was open and ready to go the moment the cork was pulled. The fruit on the nose was a complex mix of liquorice, iron, rust and beautifully aromatic violets and chalk. The palate has good substance, with lots of bright structure, the tannins softening but the acidity forward, with a slightly high-toned quality. An elegant presence, supple but also quite broad, savoury but perfumed. really the complete package here, very early on in its drinking window, but delicious despite this. It has an attractive length too. 17.5+/20

Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 1996: A finely mature hue here on inspection, and a gorgeously open and maturing nose too, full of smoke, leather, sweet fruit, pencil lead, liquorice and tea leaves. This is just amazing. Beautifully structured, very direct and defined, fresh with lovely finesse even though it is still underpinned by finely tuned tannins and substance. Without doubt this is a wonderful wine, very impressive in terms of finesse, and I suspect there is yet more pleasure to come here with time. What a delight for me that I have a few bottles in the cellar! 18.5+/20

Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) 1994: From a half-bottle. Fine aromas on the nose here, plenty of mature claret character, with perfume, rust, spiced cedar and violets. The palate is firm, with fresh acidity, but it has some flesh through the start and middle, which brings plenty of pleasure. Rather more gentle than my last note describes, but still with good substance. A little more elegant, less solid, but still with plenty of room for development. Very good. 17+/20