Chateau Haut Bailly 2018

JAMES SUCKLING: "Complex and expressive nose, offering red and dark fruit, spices and pepper with wood and mushroom undertones. Fresh mussel shell and a hint of ink, too. Full-bodied with a fine texture and great balance between the acidity and the controlled, tannic structure. Very long finish. Goes on and on. Tiny production, 21 hectoliters per hectare. Try after 2025."

JEB DUNNUCK: "I seriously considered putting one more point on the 2018 Château Haut-Bailly, and for all practical purposes, it's as good as it gets. Based on 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it has a majestic, full-bodied, multi-dimensional profile as well as a blockbuster bouquet of currants, chocolate-covered cherries, iron, tapenade, and smoked tobacco. It has a sunny, exuberant, uber-sexy style, yet it's not over the top, and it has perfect ripeness (not overripe or underripe), beautiful tannins, and flawless overall balance. It's approachable today yet should hit maturity in another 4-5 years and have a broad 30-40 years of prime drinking window."

WEINWISSER: "Purpur mit satter Mitte und zartem rubinrotem Rand. Was für ein feingliedriges Parfüm mit roten Pflaumen, edler Cassiswürze und zartem Veilchenduft, dahinter Brasiltabak, Bleistiftmine und helles Edelholz. Am sublimen Gaumen mit cremiger Textur, herrlicher Extraktfülle und kakaoartigem engem Tanningerüst – alles hier ist am richtigen Platz! Im konzentrierten nicht enden wollenden Finale ein Feuerwerk von Wildkirsche, Schlehensaft und tiefschürfender dunkler Mineralik, endet mit königlicher Adstringenz. Hat den 1. Platz in Léognan erfolgreich verteidigt! Kaufen!"

DECANTER: "First vintage under Chris Wilmers, succeeding his father Bob. A brilliant Haut-Bailly, living up to its En Primeur promise, packed with ripe rippling black and red berry fruit and a wonderful velvety texture. Still extremely young, more closed than it was during En Primeur but packed with layers of brilliance, saline quality on the finish, with a tight slate grip slowing everything down. 5% Cabernet Franc completes the blend, co-fermented with Petit Verdot. A yield of 21hl/ha. Drinking Window 2028 - 2045"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "The nose is off the charts with its cornucopia of black and red fruits, smoke, wet earth, spice box and Cuban cigar profile. On the palate the wine offers almost unequaled depth of flavor, concentration, richness, silky tannins and wave after wave of perfectly ripe, fresh, pure black and red fruits. The seamless finish seems almost endless as it builds and expands. Haut Bailly is not a flashy wine. It often shows much better with cellaring. Give this at least 10 years before pulling a cork. The wine was made from 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. 2018 was produced from some of the lowest yields in the history of the estate at 21 hectoliters per hectare, cutting the production in half. If this is your style of wine, you might want to grab a few bottles."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Reife dunkle Beerenfrucht, zart nach Feigen und kandierten Orangenzesten, zart nach Velours und Nougat, facettenreich und einladend. Saftig, extraktsüß und elegant, feine Kirschfrucht, seidige, gut integrierte Tannine, mineralisch-salzig im Abgang, schon sehr gut entwickelt, finessenreich im Nachhall, sicheres Reifepotenzial. (2020–2060)"

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2018 Haut-Bailly is blended of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, and it has 14.4% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to unlock a powerhouse of black fruit preserves, offering notes of blackberry pie, crème de cassis and black cherry compote, giving way to nuances of Chinese five spice, camphor, chocolate box and licorice with a touch of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with plush textured, rich black fruits, supported by a lively backbone and finishing long and spicy. It is decadently tempting to drink now, but give it 5 years in bottle to begin to see its full glory, while it should continue to transform for a further 20 years or more in cellar."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The balance between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in this wine gives it swathes of rich fruit and a classic structure. Blackberry flavors layered with firm, dense tannins convey elegance and richness. This is a ripe wine, generously proportioned and ready for aging."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2018 Haut-Bailly has a deep garnet purple color. It explodes with notes of plum preserves, baked blackberries, and crème de cassis, plus suggestions of Chinese five spice, potpourri, unsmoked cigars, and clove oil. Full-bodied, rich, and decadent, the palate has firm, grainy tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and spicy."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Packed with steeped plum, blackberry and cassis flavors, this also sports licorice root, applewood and tar notes. Dense and shows a chewy edge, but it's seriously long, energetic and vibrant, so just cellar to let it unfurl. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2038. "

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Headily exotic on the nose – really quite captivating. Rich – so rich it’s almost drinkable without food. Freshness is not its USP but its drama is. The worry was that this particular bottle was possibly oxidising."