2019 Chateau Haut Bailly... ooh la la!

[JimHow]

Wow, first sips reveal an incredibly classy, smooth, silky, light on its feet 2019 Haut-Bailly. Let's see how it performs with some wild Alaska sockeye salmon tonight....

[JimHow]

This wine is pure Bordeaux Graves perfection. Precision, Balance. Ethereal. Elegance + Strength. Profound. A classically Graves bouquet that captures delicacy but also depth and gravity. Stunningly elegant nose. Tobacco. Pure class on the nose. Gravel, stones. The color a youthful black cherry, deep, deep, gorgeous ruby. This is an assertively feminine wine. This is Eleanor Roosevelt catching a NY taxi on Fifth Avenue after meeting with the new Camelot president and his wife, no fanfare, just grace. 100 points. "Drinking well now and for the next 40-50 years." Class. We met the son(?) in Montreal at the Bordeaux tasting of the 2021 vintage, Haut Bailly was my wine of the vintage, I was disappointed when we went back to the table at the very end and they had closed up shop. My first experience with this estate, of course, was when young Nicolas brought two bottles of the 1990 to the very first BWE convention in Chicago in 2001. Stunning then, stunning now. I have 6 bottles left in my cellar, and just ordered 6 more bottles. I dunno, I just think this wine is stunning. Rating: 100 points.

[Nicklasss]

Jim, you’re the ultimate BWE! Really happy to read your review, as i have some bottles.

Haut Bailly is a great Graves wine. I like it since a long time. 100 Jimhow points for the 2019? Better than 2019 Montrose? I like that.

[JimHow]

Boy the Montrose and Haut Bailly are both 100 pointers in my book, Nicola, but very differently styled. This wine is the definition of elegance. You would really like it. I'll uncork a bottle if you come to Maine this summer.

[Comte Flaneur]

Wow! I have three bottles of this wine.
I tried the 2016 last night which was very good, but more like a 95 pointer

[DavidG]

Haut Bailly has become my favorite Pessac after Haut Brion and La Miss. So glad to see your enthusiasm for the 2019. It’ll probably be a few years before I break into my stash.

[JimHow]

As with Nicolas, David, I think this is your kind of wine. Such a beautiful, balanced Pessac. I was really wowed by it. Of course, this estate has been great for decades, but it seems to be at a new level. We tried dozens of wines from the 2021 vintage at the Montreal UGC a couple years ago and Haut Bailly was my #1. It's still rationally priced compared to other Bordeaux out there on the market.