64% cabernet sauvignon 30% merlot and 6% cabernet franc aged for 16 months in 50-65% new barrels. Situated on a 30 hectare plot its unique gravelly sand soils sit on fossil-rich subsoil. The 2011 vintage is a medium bright red. Soft pure and very fragrant on the nose a hallmark of Haut-Bailly this has aromas of tar and blackberry liqueur. With a soft entry this is ripe and pure on the palate with intense blue fruit flavors before yielding to some firm tannins. Though this will take some time to come together it also has one of the longest unhurried finishes of any 2011 Pessac. Owned by American Robert Wilmers since 1998 Chateau Haut-Bailly has seen a tremendous resurgence in quality. Well done. Tasted twice. Enjoy 2016-2026.

As with the 2007, this 2011 is bursting with pleasure right now. Carefully controlled and elegant while still being juicy, allowing the tannins to tiptoe across the palate in that way Haut-Bailly does so well. Fine tannins, well-expressed cassis and blackberry fruits, with a curl of pencil lead and cool ash on the finish. The Spring of 2011 was the hottest and driest in 50 years, with only 78mm of rain falling between March and June, balanced out by a cool and rather wet July and August, and then a warm September allowing good ripening window but keeping this rather elegant savoury fruit frame. The harvest lasted from September 9 to 29.

This is precise, welcoming, graceful, full of crayon and graphite notes. Coming into its drinking window now, and the ash, campfire and cigar box aromatics of Haut-Bailly, along with iris flowers, blueberry and cassis fruit, and an elegant, drawn out finish are reason enough to explore a vintage that is often overlooked. Harvest 9 to 29 September, Denis Dubourdieu consultant.

The saturated ruby/purple-hued 2011 Haut-Bailly exhibits a glorious, subtle, noble set of aromatics consisting of red and black currants, sweet cherries, graphite, truffles and a faint hint of wood spice. The wine hits the palate with the profound elegance and purity that have become so much a characteristic under Wilmers and Sanders. Still youthful, with good acidity and freshness, this brilliant, medium-bodied 2011 needs another 4-5 years of bottle age, and should evolve effortlessly for 20-25 years. 94+ - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

(NM91-93 points) The Chateau Haut-Bailly is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 47% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc which is close to 2000. Picking was from 9th September until the end of the month around three weeks with 11-12 days of work. They thought they would end up picking in August as the season was so advanced! The bouquet is crisp and displays fine purity with blackberry a touch of cassis crushed stone and a touch of oyster shell. It has impressive delineation and focus. The palate is very well balanced and silky smooth in the mouth. It is tensile and animated very composed and refined on the finish perhaps more so than in the 2009 and 2010. It has lower alcohol than 2010 (13.0 degrees compared to 14.2). This is the style of Haut Bailly that I appreciate.

The 2011 Château Haut-Bailly has tough shoes to fill following the 2009 and 2010, yet it's clearly an outstanding wine. More medium-bodied, focused, and firm, yet with a complex, layered style, it shows the tannins on the vintage, but the overall balance here is spot on and it has beautiful purity of fruit. It's not one to hide away in the cellar, but it will unquestionably evolve gracefully over the coming decade.

Shows a grippy feel, with lots of briar, pastis and plum sauce notes rolled together and driving through the sappy finish. Well-embedded acidity pushes everything along, while a pure echo of fruit hangs through the finish. Should blossom with cellaring. Best from 2016 through 2028. –JM