This 2006 proves again that Haut-Bailly makes wines that are built to last. You are firmly in the Left Bank register here, with silky texture and a sense of restraint to the closely knit black fruits, plus smoke and graphite undertones. Everything is precise, considered and balanced with subtle extraction. Drink now with carafing.

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.

The smoky dark red fruits are the show here. Classic and classy, with firm tannins, good concentration and a lot of lift to the red berries in the rich, lengthy, fresh mouth-filling. Tannic and young, it takes about 4 hours to soften, or if you are patient, wait until 2026.

Cool blue and black fruits, well balanced, soft campfire smoke, blackberry and pomegranate, supple and welcoming even though this was a cooler-than-average year, with soft hints of mint leaf, grilled sandalwood and liquorice. A wine with finesse and clarity of expression. 50% new oak. Harvest September 13 to October 15. 41hl/h yield, Denis Dubourdieu consultant. 50% new oak.

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Haut-Bailly has a refined and pure bouquet with hints of dark chocolate infusing the precise red berry fruit. I love the way this seductively unfurls in the glass, as if a finger is beckoning you. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a keen line of acidity, quite grippy and backward towards the finish, suggesting that this will benefit from another year or two in bottle. Elegance and power here, a Haut-Bailly cruising at a high level. Tasted January 2016. - Neal Martin

Tasted at Berry Brother & Rudd’s vertical. The 2006 Haut Bailly seems to be improving in bottle. The freshness and vitality on the nose is instantly captivating with scents of wild brambles, black cherries, dark chocolate and a touch of orange sorbet. It has superb delineation and lift. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins. Great focus with superb acidity, lively and vivacious with dried tobacco, thyme and a little rosemary on the focused, poised finish. The oak is very well integrated. Could this might turn out as good as the 2005?

You need to think ahead here, because this wine is currently totally dominated by wood. The richness and classic, balanced structure that is normal with Haut-Bailly seems to have been put aside in favor of a highly polished, toast-laden style. Search for the fruit and there is blackberry,spice and fruit tannin. But it’s hard. Wait 10 years at least.

Berries mineral and violet on the nose follow through to a full body with chewy tannins and a beautiful floral finish. Starts out earthy but turns rich and beautiful. Evolves beautifully in the glass. Best after 2013. 6665 cases made.

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. Tasted at the château. -- Neal Martin