2010 Haut Bailly 2010 5000ml

98 POINTS

Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Deep plum/purple, Haut-Bailly’s 2010 required some coaxing to appreciate its subtle notes of barbecue smoke, lead pencil shavings and creme de cassis as well as its touches of pomegranate and forest floor. The oak is pushed far into the background and the tannins are extremely silky, but the intensity of the wine is profound and the finish lingers for close to 55 seconds. This wine is ripe yet delicate, powerful yet stylish, and essentially resembles a remarkable fashion design from a house of haute couture. This wine needs a good 7-8 years of bottle age and should keep for 40-50+ years. This quintessential example of pure finesse, elegance, harmony and delicacy is combined into a wine that lingers intensely with near-perfect poise and character. Haut-Bailly’s ethereal character is virtually unmatched in Bordeaux. Normally, winemaker/winemaker Veronique Sanders fashions a blend that approximates 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. That was the exact blend of her 2009, and I doubt the 2010 deviates significantly from that.

96 POINTS

Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Haut Bailly From 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, a blend similar to what they used in 2009, the 2010 vintage is the product of low yields. For a comparison, 2009 was 46 hectoliters per hectare. In 2010, due to the draught and problems with the Merlot flowering, yields were reduced to 37 hectares per hectoliter. Low yields and weather allowed the wine to reach 13.9 % alcohol, which is slightly higher than the 13.75 the property enjoyed in 2009. . Inky purple in color, with pungent aromas of smoke, licorice, truffle, spice, ash, tobacco and blackberry liqueur, the wine is concentrated, deep, rich and opulent in texture. With palate staining fruit, layers of ripe, velvety tannins and a long, pure, cassis and blackberry finish, this wine offers strong competition for the 2009. Veronique Sanders thinks the 2010 is a better wine. I am not sure I agree. But I do know, it’s going to be a lot of comparing 2010 with 2009, 2008, 2006 and 2005 over the next few decades. 95-97 Pts

95 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

A powerful and complex wine from an estate performing on its top form. Solid tannins, layers of wood and dark fruits combine to give a wine that offers both richness and a dense structure. This Haut-Bailly should age impressively and for many years.

95 POINTS

Neal Martin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru and at the estate. The Haut-Bailly 2010 has a sophisticated bouquet with ripe small dark cherries, bilberry, cedar and lots of lush dark plums, all with fine delineation. The palate is full bodied with a rounded smooth spicy entry. The layers of plush fruit somewhat obscure the backbone here, whilst the finish is imbued with great tension and depth. It is a mass of wine at the moment, spherical in the mouth and will need a decade to find its personality and express its terroir. Tasted November 2012

95 POINTS

James Suckling

Wow. What a superb nose of blackberries, flowers and licorice. Full bodied, with a powerful palate of super rich fruit yet bright tannins and loads of blackberries and ctirus on the finish. This is really structural with amazing purity of fruit. It is so direct and powerful. Chic brick house of a wine. 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Points: 95-96

94 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

A very concentrated wine, although its tannins are well integrated into the fresh berry fruits and bright acidity. That gives the wine a style that brings out a more open character. Very promising future.-R.V.

Steven Spurrier - Decanter

Great depth of earthy fruit. More backward than usual. Super future. A magnified Haut-Bailly. 2015-2035 18/20

Jancis Robinson

A prolonged cold but dry winter. This resulted in late budbreak, around 5 April for the first Merlots and mid-April for the Cabernets. Flowering had started during an exceptionally hot week in late May, but was interrupted by wet and cold weather in early June which disrupted fertilization (causing irregular flowering and mixed sized grapes), of the old Merlot grapes in particular. July was consistently hot and sunny inducing early water stress, stopping plant growth which is propitious for the development of small grapes . Fine weather continued until the end of the harvest with alternating fine hot days (28-32 °C) and cool nights. The harvest lasted four weeks: 15 days with six half days and nine full days, starting 22 September with the young Merlot vines. The Cabernet grapes were picked just after, between 5-14 October. As a result of the water deficit, the grapes were extremely small producing a higher phenolic content than in 2009. Vinification: gentle extraction with a controlled fermentation temperature (around 26 °C) to limit the effects of the high alcohol content. Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Merlot 36%, Cabernet Franc 2%. Barrel sample taken two or three weeks ago. Great tension and liquorice and freshness. Sinewy. Score: 18/20