Chateau Haut-Bailly 2016
Standard - 75cl
ETA: 5-6 months
- Vintage2016
- ABV13.5
- ColourRed
- ProducerChateau Haut-Bailly
- CountryFrance
- RegionBordeaux
- Sub RegionPessac-Leognan
- DesignationAOP
- ClassificationCru Classe
- Bottle SizeStandard - 75cl
- Drinking RecommendationDrinking well already and will keep improving with more time in the cellar.
- Drinking Period2019 – 2056
- Avg. Critic Score4.7★★★★★★★★★★
Wine Critic Reviews
To kick off the 50 year retrospective of Haut-Bailly, we began with this exceptional 2016 (we had also tried the fragrant and nuanced 2019 in the tasting room). Still concentrated and powerful, its structure and poise is a clear reminder that the vintage sets the bar as one of the greatest Haut-Baillys in recent history. Fabulous wine, with layers of black olive paste, blueberry fruit, crayon, cigar box, luscious but still reserved, will go for decades. Harvest September 26 to October 18. Denis Dubourdieu's last year as consultant, Gabriel Vialard winemaker, Véronique Sanders director, 55% new oak for ageing.
- Drinking Window: 2026 - 2050
- Reviewer Name: Jane Anson
- Review Date: August 2020
I obviously underrated the 2016 Château Haut-Bailly on release, and it easily tops out my scale. A hypothetical blend of the 2009 and 2010, it has the opulence and sexiness of a ripe, sunny vintage (à la 2009) paired with incredible purity, concentration, structure, and elegance (à la 2010). Incredible aromatics of cassis, liquid violets, cedar pencil, flowers, and minerals give way to a full-bodied, multi-dimensional, layered Haut-Bailly offering ultra-fine tannins, flawless overall balance, nothing out of place, and the class to drink well today yet evolve for 30-40 years. Absolute perfection in wine, this is a modern-day Legend from director Veronique Sanders.
- Drinking Window: 2019 - 2049
- Reviewer Name: Jeb Dunnuck
- Review Date: February 2019
Incense, dried herb and dark fruit aromas. Very precise and vibrant, with great definition and detail. Fruit, acidity and tannins work together to give the wine a chiseled, youthful and energetic profile. A pleasure to taste now, but will hold. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.
- Reviewer Name: Jacobo García Andrade
- Review Date: June 2021
The 2016 Haut-Bailly is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. The nose opens with beautiful floral notes of violets and lavender accented with earthy notions and sparks of crushed rocks over a core of kirsch, cassis and wild blueberries. Full-bodied, rich and seductive, it has layer upon layer of red, black and blue fruits intermingled with earth and mineral hints leading to a very long, perfumed finish.
- Drinking Window: 2023 - 2046
- Reviewer Name: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
- Review Date: November 2018
A big, vertical wine, the 2016 Haut-Bailly explodes onto the palate with tremendous depth and intensity. Readers should be in no rush to drink the 2016, as it won't be close to ready to drink for at least a decade, and I say that as an eternal optimist. Black cherry, smoke, tobacco, cedar, gravel and incense add to the wine's decidedly somber personality.
- Drinking Window: 2028 - 2056
- Reviewer Name: Antonio Galloni
- Review Date: January 2019
Refined, elegant, brilliant. Spring rain and a dry, sunny summer and autumn meant perfectly ripe grapes, a growing season CEO Véronique Sanders dubbed Le Bonheur (‘a delight’). This sumptuous, smooth red has just about everything: concentration, power, richness, floral and tobacco leaf scents, dark berry and cassis flavours, a plush texture, and long, polished tannins.Haut-Bailly is cru classé for red only.
- Drinking Window: 2026 - 2050
- Reviewer Name: Elin McCoy
- Review Date: January 2019
The 2016 Haut-Bailly has a lovely bouquet with vivid black fruit, briar and crushed rose petal scents, the oak beautifully intertwined. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid black fruit, cedar and black olive. Fine depth, gentle grip, this feels quite backward towards the finish. Real character here. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
- Reviewer Name: Neal Martin