Chateau Haut Bailly 2017

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Barrel Sample. Bold and dense, this wine is packed with tannins, ripe berry flavors and intense black fruit notes. Impressive, it is showing richness now and a fine future. Rich tannins and a firm dry core will allow the wine to age well."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2017 Haut-Bailly is composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Very deep garnet-purple colored, it has a wonderfully spicy nose of cinnamon stick, cloves, anise and fenugreek with core of roses, warm blueberries, black forest cake and black raspberries plus hints of underbrush and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied with firm, ripe, grainy tannins, it has oodles of freshness and great finesse, continuing bright and energetic on the long, minerally finish."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Blackberry, walnut, iodine, and sandalwood aromas follow through to a full body, round and juicy tannins and an intense, flavorful finish. This shows richness with structure. Excellent 2017. Try after 2023."

DECANTER: "Grilled caramel notes set against sappy black fruit show classic Haut-Bailly balance, with savoury cassis and bilberry shot through with liquorice root and finely-spun tannins that tiptoe across the palate. Less monolithic than the 2016 or 2018, clear that this is going to be ready to drink sooner. Harvest September 13 to 29. 4% Cabernet France completes the blend. The last vintage under Bob Wilmers."

JEB DUNNUCK: "I continue to believe that the top 2017s from Bordeaux are undervalued in the market: case in point, the 2017 Château Haut-Bailly. This is a gorgeous wine that I think is as good, if not better than the 2000. Stylistically, it's closer in style to the 2014 with its purity, balance, and elegance, yet it brings plenty of fruit and depth. Classic red and black fruit, smoked tobacco, scorched earth, and cedar pencil notes define the aromatics, and it's balanced and has a layered, seamless mouthfeel as well as a great finish. I would be thrilled with a case in the cellar, and it's going to drink well for three decades."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER:A smoky bar around the time of the Third French Republic, alive with the scent of tar, tobacco, the essence of cassis and blackberry aperitifs and other herbal elixirs. Hints of flowers create the complex set of aromatics that bring us to this imaginary Café De La Paix, 1900. On the palate, the wine has polish, softness, energy and a lot of lift. Bright but not flashy, this is a classically styled vintage for the estate which will show well early, yet possess the ability to age as well. The wine was made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, reaching 13.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.74. The Grand Vin was produced from 50% of the harvest, which took place from September 13 to September 29. Unfortunately, Haut Bailly lost 30% of the crop due to the spring frost.

WEINWISSER: "Granat mit aufhellendem rubinrotem Rand. Ein tänzerisches Potpourri mit Anklängen an rote Kirschen, dahinter Bleistiftmine und heller Tabak. Am kraftvollen Gaumen mit zupackendem Tanningerüst, spürbare Adstringenz und fleischigem Extrakt. Im introvertierten Finale Wacholder und Schlehen. Zeigt sich aktuell sehr klassisch und etwas burschikos, aber die Anlagen sind gut. Hier heisst es Geduld bewahren!"

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung, zarte Herzkirschen, dunkles Waldbeerfrucht, dezente Edelholzwürze, noch sehr zurückhaltend, florale Noten, etwas Lakritze im Hintergrund. Saftig, hochelegant, finessenreich strukturiert, feine, gut integrierte Tannine, angenehme Extraktsüße, salzige Mineralität, bleibt haften, sicheres Reifepotenzial."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A bold tarry note coils around the core of plum, black currant and blackberry fruit, while licorice root and bramble details check in on the finish. Packed and grippy, this is a touch rustic in profile at this early stage but should unwind easily enough with time, as all the pieces are in place. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2038. 4,166 cases made. — JM"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc.Overshadowed by the intensity and power of 2016 and 2015 but certainly not to be dismissed. Elegant and open, the emphasis on the bright, filigree nature of the fruit. Palate juicy and appealing with just a hint of oak, the tannins are really finely framed. Gentle handling wins the day. Lots of charm."