Chateau Haut-Bailly Pessac Leognan 2010

"Allocation only, email wine@worldwine.com.au to secure allocation"

The Château Haut-Bailly estate has really hit form in the last 5-7 years. Haut-Bailly was bought by the Sanders family in 1955 and was run by Jean Sanders until 1998 when Robert G. Wilmers, an American banker, purchased it. It is located in the commune of Léognan, which is usually more associated with white wine production. Haut-Bailly has 28 hectares of vineyards which are very well sited on the high, gravelly ground just east of Léognan village. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (25%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). It is matured in small oak barriques (50% new) for 15 months and is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Haut-Bailly is renowned for its smoothness and silkiness but, since the mid-1990s, the wines have a better depth of fruit as well as more grip, concentration and body. They are now amongst the top echelons of Pessac-Léognan wines.