CHÂTEAU HAUT BAILLY

The 2020 Haut-Bailly showed extremely well when I tasted it at my home during lockdown. Now in bottle since spring 2022, it upholds a wonderful bouquet with multi-layered black fruit laced with briary, flint, blood orange and light peony scents. That orange element becomes a touch more pronounced with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine backbone, brimming with energy and remaining harmonious from start to finish. This is a long-term prospect, an achievement considering that this was supposed to be vinified in their new winery, but due to Covid delays ended up being vinified in their old facility (though barrel maturation was able to be done in the new cellar.) Drinking range: 2030 - 2065 Rating: 96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

Deep, rich and explosive, the 2020 Haut-Bailly is magnificent from the very first taste. Dark fruit, chocolate, licorice and spice give the 2020 a level of unctuousness that is absolutely thrilling. Readers should be patient, as the 2020 is going to need time to come around. Yields are down 25% from 2019, and that richness comes through loud and clear. Drinking range: 2032 - 2060 Rating: 95-97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Haut-Bailly was picked September 9–25 in what the estate has called the "year of reinvention." Having left my sample to open for 30 minutes and then assessed it over the following three hours, I found that it has a mercurial nose of gorgeous blackberry, briar, white pepper, incense and hints of blood orange. It gains intensity and becomes more floral with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple but firm tannins that provide backbone. There is plenty of black fruit laced with white pepper and clove. Perhaps less rich on the finish compared to the last two vintages – a virtue as far as I am concerned, as it allows more terroir to show through. This is an impressive Haut-Bailly to coincide with their new winery, which I hope to visit very soon. Drinking range: 2030 - 2065 Rating: 95-97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

A legendary Haut-Bailly in the making, the 2020 sports a dense purple color to go with powerful notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, scorched earth, and graphite. Reminding me of the 2010, it takes plenty of air to show at its best yet is full-bodied, has a seamless texture, massive of ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. It's one of the most structured, powerful Haut-Bailly I've ever tasted, yet it still has the classic elegance, nuance, and length of this terrific terroir. It will need 5-7 years (or more) of bottle age but will have 50 years of overall longevity. The 2020 is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 3% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Rating: 96-98 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

Véronique Sanders told me that in the past, so-called ‘great vintages’ used to come from relatively ‘easy’ years, and while the last three Bordeaux vintages have certainly made a number of truly great wines, the vintage conditions have been anything but easy. The 2020 vintage has been both a personal and professional challenge with the small matter of a global pandemic wreaking havoc all over the world and even in this noble wine region, so Véronique has dedicated her 2020s to her ‘courageous’ Haut Bailly and Le Pape teams. This is a delicious Haut-Bailly with a thrilling perfume of perfectly ripe grapes and discreet leaf details. The oak is firm and it buttresses the dense, dark fruit beautifully. Bold, regal and amazingly well-balanced considering its powerful stance, this is a long, fine wine with lip-smacking tannins and a welcoming kick of brightness and joy right on the finish. While the overall tone is of a contemplative soul as opposed to an extrovert, this is a delicious Haut-Bailly and when you dive into the serene black fruit and allow your palate to swim around its cathedral-like caverns of flavour there is a stunning sensation of freshness when you eventually come up for air. This is a wine that will be sure to open and reveal itself younger in its life than the past handful of vintages but I venture its staying power will be extraordinary, too. Rating: 19+/20 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2021)

This has incredible power and drive with blackberry, black olive and graphite. It’s full-bodied, yet dynamic and agile, with so much polished and muscular tannin. Yet, it remains in harmony and balance. So much character. The head of the chateau calls it diabolical beauty. 25% less production than the 2019. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot. Rating: 99-100 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2021)

Rich in texture and colour, this has clear layers and complexity, a wine that you want to take your time with, slow down and enjoy. One that will take its time to age also. This has a precision and a clarity to the aromatics, and a gentle buzz of minerality that gives a physical reaction in the mouth. Less exuberant than the 2018 or 2019, making this a vintage that suits the style of Haut-Bailly. A slight austerity to the tannins on the finish gives a blueberry redcurrant edge. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend (now around eight years old), usually co-fermented with the Cabernet Sauvignon (sometimes with Cabernet Franc). IPT similar to 2016, 2010, 2005, but with a softness that comes from extremely ripe tannins. Strong potential for upscoring when it bottle. Drinking range: 2030 - 2050 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Powerful, deep-coloured wine with a considerable tannic core. Mellow fruit provides a suave texture but the pixelated tannins are still palpable. Intense, brooding with lots of extract, the finish warm, the oak just present. Needs time to knit. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 17++ James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)