CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY Grand Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 2020 MAGNUM

Description

Chateau Haut Bailly Grand Cru Classe Pessac Leognan 2020 is a refined and compelling expression of gravelly Pessac terroir, marrying ripe Cabernet structure with Merlot silk and a pronounced mineral lift. The colour is deep ruby with a clear, bright core. The nose opens with concentrated blackcurrant, black cherry and plum, lifted by violet and a waft of graphite; with airing the bouquet broadens to reveal cedar, pencil shavings and a warm tobacco leaf perfume alongside notes of crushed stone and gentle earth.

On the palate the wine is medium plus in weight with a polished, energetic mid palate and finely grained tannins that provide a supportive but never heavy backbone. Primary dark fruit is ripe and focused, moving from cassis and damson into a savoury heart of olive tapenade, smoked meat and a subtle soy like reduction. There is an attractive spicy frame from careful oak ageing, offering clove, toasted spice and a faint dark chocolate thread that integrates with the fruit. Bright acidity runs through the core, giving drive and clarity and keeping the finish lively and precise.

The 2020 vintage in Bordeaux produced wines of generous ripeness tempered by clarity and freshness; at Haut Bailly this has resulted in a wine that balances concentration with tension, showing both immediate charm and clear ageing potential. The estate's meticulous vineyard work and restrained, classic élevage allow the gravelly Pessac signature to remain central.

Texture is silky rather than opulent, the mid palate filling the mouth with a satiny weight that carries the flavours to a long saline and mineral finish where tobacco, cedar and a faint iron note linger. Approachable now with gentle decanting, the 2020 will reward medium term cellaring as tertiary notes of leather, forest floor and truffle integrate.

Drink 2028 to 2045, peaking 2032 to 2038. Serve slightly below room temperature with roast lamb, beef Wellington, venison with juniper, mushroom and truffle dishes, or mature hard cheeses to complement the wine's savoury depth and refined structure.

THE WINE ADVOCATE (94-95)+ points
A classic in the making, the 2021 Haut-Bailly wafts from the glass with aromas of dark berries and wild plums mingled with sweet spices, loamy soil, raw cocoa and violets. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and concentrated, with bright acids, ultra-refined tannins and a long, penetrating finish, it's a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, only 22% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. With yields of a mere 19 hectoliters per hectare, it's impressively intensely flavored despite its quintessentially elegant, classically proportioned profile. In many respects, it may represent the Cabernet-driven modern-day alter ego of the superb Merlot-dominant 1998 Haut-Bailly. - William Kelley Apr 22

DECANTER 95 points
Seductive blackcurrant and juniper with purple floral touches on the nose. Smooth texture with high acidity giving sharp strawberry fruit balanced by both savoury and mineral touches - slate, crushed stone, smoke, violets and dark chocolate - very much in the style of the vintage with no harshness or overt opulence but instead gives a pure sense of classicism, restraint and refinement. Elegant and well structured with a long determined finish - this will continue to deliver pleasure for a long time. 10% press wine. No chaptalisation. 30% grand vin. 3.9pH. 3% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Yield 19hl/ha. First year in the new cellar. - Georgina Hindle Apr 22
Drinking Window 2026 - 2045.