2006 Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Aromas of fresh herbs with some tobacco, lavender and black fruit. Earth, too. Medium to full body with tight, polished tannins. Long, firm and racy.

Drink now

Blackish crimson. Very fresh and crisp. Zesty. Very direct. Lots of fine tannins. Seems to have more volume and fruit than the 2005! 

Drink 2018 - 2035

A vintage that gets overlooked after the brilliance of the 2005, but that has a lot to offer in its structure and classicism. The fruit character here is dark, still knitted down, even moody, with plenty of aromatics and fresh acidities. The grip is evident, with tannins that are holding everything in place, not quite ready to let go, with earth and liquorice coming through as it opens in the glass.

Drink 2020 - 2036

The 2006 Château Haut-Bailly is more forward and charming, but it's another seriously good wine. Dried flowers, currants, chocolate, sandalwood, cigar, and graphite all shine here, and it's one of those wines you could just smell all evening. With plenty of mid-palate depth, medium to full body, and ripe, integrated tannins, drink this beauty over the coming 10-12 years.

Drink 2023 - 2035

Tasted at the château.

The 2006 Haut-Bailly is a very capable Pessac-Léognan from an oft-overlooked vintage. This repeats its showing from a few months earlier with lovely blue and black fruits and violet aromas. Perhaps a mote of chimney soot here? The palate is medium-bodied with that slightly ferrous note and tobacco. This bottle is a touch creamier in texture than previous examples. This is drinking perfectly now, but there's a lot left in the tank.

Drink 2022 - 2032

A superb success for the vintage, the 2006 exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue as well as a poised, classic bouquet of sweet black cherries, graphite, camphor, truffles, and a subtle hint of oak. Medium-bodied with a stunningly layered texture, impressive purity, and beautiful balance, this cuvee is haute couture in a glass. Although surprisingly approachable, it won’t hit its adolescent stage for 8-10 years, and will last for 25-30 years thereafter. Bravo!

It is extraordinary to see what the American proprietor, a banker from Buffalo, NY, Robert Wilmers and Veronique Sanders, the granddaughter of the former proprietor, have accomplished at Haut-Bailly. Together they are pushing this outstanding terroir to first-growth quality levels. It is an amazing success story, and readers looking for a quintessentially elegant Bordeaux need look no further than Haut-Bailly.

Drink 2017 - 2047

Full ruby-red. Sappy aromas of black and blue fruits, liquorice pastille and menthol are lifted by a floral top note. Then tight, dry and classic on the palate, with terrific energy and an impression of weightlessness to the youthfully imploded flavours of black fruits, minerals, camphor, cedar and tobacco. As smooth as it is, it's also quite serious and uncompromising. Showing better than a sample I tasted last year right after the bottling, but still an infant. Offers impressive cellaring potential.