Château Haut-Bailly Pessac-Léognan rouge 2025 - Grand Cru Classé (Primeurs)

Decanter

About the wine:

Beautiful floral aromas, with an abundance of rose petals. Supple and exceptionally smooth, with silky tannins and truly vibrant red cherry fruit. A thoroughly brilliant and energetic style. Full-bodied yet juicy, with acidity that lends it clear structure and vitality. I love this slightly fuller expression, which lacks neither depth nor character and fills the mouth with a fleshy texture while remaining airy, lively, and so fresh. Impressive. Haut-Bailly has been one of the most delicate wines of recent vintages, but this one is a bit more forthright, lively, and full of character, and that’s why I love it—all while retaining its elegance and refinement. Ripe, punchy, lively, straightforward. A great success. 4% Petit Verdot rounds out the blend. 2035–2055

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

"With its distinctive and utterly charming style, this estate—acquired in 1998 by American banker Robert Wilmers—produces a wine of unique integrity and class. Véronique Sanders, the former owner’s granddaughter, meticulously manages this classified growth on a daily basis, alongside the highly competent technical director Gabriel Vialard. She produces a harmonious and supremely balanced red wine here, respecting Bordeaux traditions, without ever overdoing it in an attempt to overshadow the wines’ very natural profile. The gravelly terroir over iron-rich soil allows the wines to develop a highly seductive bouquet of morello cherries and a velvety texture unmatched in this part of Léognan. It is very difficult to find fault with a single vintage: all of them, with an inimitable, long, and refined style, achieve excellence. A word of caution to overly impatient enthusiasts: like any great wine worth its salt, Haut-Bailly can be austere in its youth. It truly reveals itself only after a few years of aging.”

James Suckling

About the wine:

This delicate and refined wine offers beautiful fruitiness. The tannins are perfectly integrated into the wine, giving it an almost Pinot-like texture. It is as smooth as silk. This is a medium-bodied wine with precise, concentrated fruit and a lingering finish. The exceptional harmony of this young wine makes it a delight to drink. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. 13.3% alcohol. pH 3.67.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Revealing energy, complexity, and finesse from the very first whiff is a mark of greatness and harmony. Even before tasting the wine, one inevitably feels a sense of confidence coupled with delight. Hints of tomato leaves and Sichuan pepper highlight the freshness, while aromas of violets, black cherries, blackberries, and finally a touch of graphite underscore the complexity. Slightly creamy on the attack, the wine progresses gradually across the palate. It follows a linear progression and benefits from the valuable support of its aging and tannic structure, which serve as the foundation of the mid-palate, though in truth they underpin the entire palate. The fine-grained tannins are in harmony with a structuring acidity that also ensures a juicy and slightly salty finish. A Haut-Bailly of extraordinary precision that impresses with its serenity in what was, all things considered, a challenging context, resulting in an exceptional wine. It will certainly take its place in the Haut-Bailly Hall of Fame! I believe that aging will also allow it to further refine its finish, channeling the energy accumulated throughout its flavor journey and thus concluding with a prolonged and renewed aromatic impact. 2030–2065

Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux