2013 Haut Bailly
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Tasting notes
Wet earth, soft crushed rose petals, with appealingly fragrant white blossom and raspberry leaf. Juicy, finessed and carefully placed, this doesn't reach the heights of most years of Haut-Bailly, but the vintage was extremely tough, and this is a good choice within it. Captures the spirit of the estate. Harvest October 1 to 10. Denis Dubourdieu consultant, Gabriel Vialard winemaker.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
The 2013 Château Haut-Bailly is enjoyable, with a pretty, medium-bodied, leaner style as well as attractive aromatics of mulberries, currants, sandalwood, and leafy herbs. Coming from a cooler, rainy year, it has good ripeness and a balanced, enjoyable, easygoing style. It's fully mature yet should keep for another decade. The blend of the 2013 is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, all of which was harvested the first two weeks in October.
The 2013 Haut-Bailly offers light aromas of black fruit, sous-bois and tobacco. Nothing green here, but it does lack presence and depth. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins, fleshy and smooth, but shallow for this Pessac-Léognan with a rather monotonous finish. Nothing bad in the scheme of things, but to be brutally honest, it is rather forgettable. Tasted at the Haut-Bailly vertical at the château.
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Lighter hue. Simple, plummy, red-fruit nose with a hint of oak spice. Palate juicy but lightweight, the mid-palate slightly hollow. Supple but drying on the finish. A valiant effort but shows the limits of the vintage. (JL)
About the producer
Quality at this château, now one of Pessac-Léognan’s leading wine estates, has risen exponentially under the reign of Véronique Sanders, with the property known for crafting wines of elegance and poise.