Chateau Haut Bailly Pessac Leognan Cru Classe 2021

"96/100" - Jane Anson

"96/100" - Antonio Galloni

"95/100" - Decanter

"94/100" - Wine Advocate

"94-96/100" - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

"95-96/100" - Andrew Caillard MW

"95-96/100" - James Suckling

"94-95/100" - Bettane & Desseauve

95-97/100 Adrian Van Velsen

96/100 Antonio Galloni
The 2021 Haut-Bailly is incredibly poised, even if it is clearly a wine of reserve in this vintage. Its vertical build speaks of pure sophistication. Time in the glass brings out hints of dried herbs, menthol, licorice, pine, blackberry and underbrush.

96/100 Jane Anson
If you had to pick an estate in Bordeaux that can rise to the challenge of a cool vintage, Haut-Bailly would have to be on the shortlist, and you can see the precision that they are able to craft here. In bottle it retains a knitted down, subdued, reserved feel, with estate signature, and plenth of blueberry, loganberry, cassis, slate, crushed rock and gunsmoke, poised and full of energy. Small 19hl/h yield, meaning that in this first year with the new cellar they used just 20 of the smallest size vats (out of 50 in total). Harvest September 27 to October 11. 

95-96/100 James Suckling
Lots of graphite and crushed-stone character with redcurrants and pine needles. Medium body with silky and layered tannins. Pretty balance and elegance. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 10% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc.

95-96/100 Andrew Caillard
Medium-deep colour. Beautiful blackcurrant pastille violet graphite, roasted chestnut aromas. A lovely refreshing palate with dense blackcurrant pastille, blackberry fruits, very good mid-palate richness, roasted chestnut nuances and persistent al dente tannins. Finishes chalky firm and minerally. Beautiful wine with lovely fruit definition and torque. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 10% petit verdot, 3% cabernet franc.

94-96/100 Jeff Leve
Initially you notice the blackberries, black plums and black currants before moving on to the tobacco, flowers, spice and smoke in the aromatic profile. Supple, refined and elegant, perhaps the best way to describe the wine is modern chic, or modern classic, if you prefer. The tannins are soft and polished, the fruit is pure, clean and fresh, with a salty, mildly-chalky, supple endnote. Although it is going to probably always be a bit reticent in character, you will be able to approach and enjoy this wine in its youth, as well as age it for more complexity. The wine blends 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The blend represents the the highest percentage of Petit Verdot in the history of the estate. 13% ABV, pH 3.9. The harvest took place September 27 to October 11. The Grand Vin was produced from 50% of the harvest. 2021 is the first vintage produced in their new, state-of-the-art cellars. Drink from 2025-2055.

95/100 Decanter
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.

94-95/100 Bettane & Desseauve

94-95/100 Wine Advocate
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.

94/100 Wine Advocate
The 2021 Haut-Bailly, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, reveals a complex, brooding bouquet with aromas of blackcurrant, spices, plums, spring flowers and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, it’s a lively, rather muscular wine with a fleshy, dense core of fruit, tangy acids and powdery tannins. Despite its firm character, I like its overall balance. It should age gracefully over the next 10 years.