Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 25% and Petit Verdot 10%
Château Haut-Bailly is a historic wine estate located in Pessac-Léognan on the left bank of the Gironde. Half a century ago, the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wine frequently commanded the same prices as the first growth wines and, in the 1959 Graves Classification, the château was given Grand Cru Classé status. Its wines remain well-regarded and often critically well received.
The estate boasts 30 hectares (74 acres) of vineyard on a high, sandy ridge with lots of sandstone and fossils. Cabernet Sauvignon makes up the majority of the vineyards covering 60 percent of the total area, but Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are also planted here. Traditionally, these were interplanted, and a four-hectare (10-acre) plot is maintained in this way. Following fermentation, the Château Haut-Bailly grand vin is aged in cask for 16 to 18 months, with the proportion of new oak depending on the vintage.
TASTING NOTES
The 1989 Haut-Bailly is drinking beautifully, offering up aromas of dark berry fruit mingled with burning embers, spices and cedar box. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and sumptuous, with a rich core of fruit, melting tannins and a long, penetrating finish, it’s a broad, supple wine of immense charm and character. Drink 2009-2035.
ROBERT PARKER – 94POINTS
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