Chateau Haut-Bailly Pessac Leognan 2020 1.5Ltr

size

1.5Ltr

country

France

region

Bordeaux

appellation

Graves

subappellation

Pessac Leognan

6 Ratings

See 6 Professional Reviews

100

Additional vintages

2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2001 2000 1999 1998 1990 1985

100

Rated 100 by James Suckling

99-100 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. ... More details

Chateau Haut-Bailly Pessac Leognan 2020 1.5Ltr

100

Rated 100 by James Suckling

Rated 99 by Jeb Dunnuck

Another wine I underrated on release, the 2020 Château Haut-Bailly is just about pure perfection, and whereas the 2018 is closer in style to the 2009, this plays things a little closer to its vest and is reminiscent of the 2010. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it nevertheless cuts a focused, precise path across the palate and brings incredible purity in its darker fruits, smoked tobacco, cedar pencil, and Asian spice-driven aromas and flavors. The tannin quality here is off the charts, and this beauty has everything you could want from wine. It needs a solid 4-6 years (if not longer) to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window, and it's going to evolve for 50+ years.

Rated 98 by Wine Enthusiast

96-98 Barrel Sample. This wine's texture is exceptional, with powerful dark fruits and rich tannins blending seamlessly. All this density is cut with the finest spice and fresh acidity. The result is a wine that has both power and delicacy that gives a lift to the aftertaste. It will certainly age so well.

Rated 97 by Decanter

Almost wild on the nose, aromatic and expressive, you can tell this is a powerful, concentrated wine with dark fruits, graphite, fresh mint and medicinal herbal touches. Pure and focused, clean, lean and multifaceted, the flavours hit the palate then melt away, giving the floor to liquorice, cedar, tobacco and soft clove spices. I love the sleekness and the sense of seriousness that the 2020 has compared to the more 'look at me' 2019 at this point. The texture and depth make this wine, with vertical layers and excellent acidity. A profound wine.

Rated 95 by Vinous Media

The 2020 Haut-Bailly has a much better bouquet than the de Fieuzal. It is notably fresher, with black fruit, cedar and tobacco aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins-a well-knit and harmonious Pessac with a precise, understated finish. This outstanding 2020 shows its class. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Rated 94 by Wine Advocate

The 2020 Haut-Bailly opens in the glass with attractive aromas of cassis, sweet berries, loamy soil, violets and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's a concentrated, rather broad-shouldered wine built around a chassis of firm, powdery tannin that asserts itself on the finish. Haut-Bailly once rivaled Haut-Brion for the title of Pessac's most elegant wine, and I would love to see the team here ease off extraction, but this remains a strong effort that will reward patience.

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Chateau Haut-Bailly Pessac Leognan 2020 1.5Ltr

SKU 901873

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Long-term Pre-Arrival

$1146.27

/case

$382.09

/1.5Ltr bottle

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Professional Ratings

100

Rated 100 by James Suckling

Rated 99 by Jeb Dunnuck

Rated 98 by Wine Enthusiast

Rated 97 by Decanter

Rated 95 by Vinous Media

Rated 94 by Wine Advocate

Product Details

size

1.5Ltr

country

France

region

Bordeaux

appellation

Graves

subappellation

Pessac Leognan

Additional vintages

2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2001 2000 1999 1998 1990 1985

Overview

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

The Bordeaux method of blending quality grape varietals is something which has long been imitated and envied around the world. Whilst there are six Bordeaux grape varietals allowed for the production of red wine in this region of France â€“ Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and CarmÃ©nere â€“ the most common and widely used combination involves a careful blend of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, usually with a small percentage of Petit Verdot to boost the overall flavor and balance things out. This process accentuates the finer points of all these varietals, and takes the astringency of one type whilst rounding it out and mellowing it with the light tannins and fleshiness of another. The results are rarely short of spectacular, and are perfect for oak aging, where the flavorful magic of Bordeaux wine making can really take place, and the complex aromas and characteristics can truly come forward.

Region: Bordeaux

The Bordeaux region of France is possibly the most famous and widely respected wine region in the world. Known primarily for its exceptional blended red wines, made most commonly with Cabernet Sauvigon, Merlot and Petit Verdot grape varietals, it also produces superb dry white wines (both blended and single variety), alongside the highly esteemed sweet wines of Sauternes. All of these wine types use a careful mix of traditional wine-making methods alongside modern techniques, as well as more experimental and unorthodox practices such as turning their grapes over to the noble rot which intensifies the flavors in the sweet wines. Bordeaux benefits greatly from its position amongst wide river basins, and the cooling Atlantic breezes which blow across the rolling vineyards which cover this region.

Country: France

Year in, year out, France enjoys its prestigious reputation as the producer of the finest wines in the world. With a wine making history which spans several thousand years and owes its expertise to the Romans, it comes as little surprise that this most highly esteemed of the Old World wine countries continues to impress and enchant both novices and experts to this day. Despite the rise in quality of wines from neighboring European countries, not to mention the New World, the French wine industry continues to boom, with up to eight billion bottles being produced in recent years. However, France prides itself on always putting quality before quantity, and the wide range in fine produce is a testament to the dedication and knowledge of the wineries across the country. Indeed, from rich and complex reds to light and aromatic white wines, French wines are as varied and interesting as they are enjoyable to drink, making this country a firm favorite for wine lovers across the globe.

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