2009 - Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Leognan

Supple tannins, fleshy blackberry and cassis fruits, lives up to the high expectations surrounding this wine and yet maintains the quiet confidence and reserve that is a signature of Haut-Bailly. A magical bottle that is still at the very beginning of its drinking window, you can keep for decades. Denis Dubourdieu consultant, Gabriel Vialard winemaker, Véronique Sanders director, 55% new oak for ageing.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Haut-Bailly hits the ground running with bold black fruit preserves, Morello cherries, baked blueberries and tilled earth scents with nuances of fried herbs, chargrilled meat and a ferrous waft plus a touch of menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the taut palate has a firm, grainy texture with a lively line lifting the core of muscular fruit, finishing long and earthy.

The 2009 Haut-Bailly remains a glorious example from this Pessac-Léognan estate and confirms my recent encounters. Blueberries and cassis scents soon join black cherries, blood orange and iris flower notes on the nose. It skillfully translates the precocity of the growing season, though there is just a touch of alcohol that blurs the edges compared to more recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with a sensual, creamy, velvety texture. It is laden with black fruit and just a hint of liquorice, more primal than the bottle opened at the vertical the previous year. Drinking perfectly now if you like a bit of hedonism, otherwise, leave it four to five more years. Tasted at the château.

Mid crimson. Savoury start. Dense. Quite a contrast to the Domaine de Chevalier 2009 tasted immediately beforehand and lacking its freshness but certainly well balanced and a fine representative of 2009 bordeaux. (JR)