Chateau Haut Bailly 2019

JAMES SUCKLING: "Extremely aromatic, with incredible wet-earth, bark, stone and graphite notes on the nose, then changing to violets, blackberries and blackcurrants. Full-bodied, yet so linear and fine, with titanium tannins that go on so long. Builds and builds then just rolls around the palate through the endless finish. Real Bordeaux here. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, and 4% petit verdot. Exceptional. Better after 2029."

WEINWISSER: "56 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 36 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc, 4 % Petit Verdot, 50 % Grand Vin. Dichtes Purpur mit zartem rubinrotem Rand. Was für ein erotisches Parfüm nach Wildkirschen, roten Pflaumen und Ebenholz. Im zweiten Ansatz edle Cassiswürze und frischer Thymian. Am Gaumen mit seidiger Textur und einer magischen, perfekt stützenden Rasse; der Wein schwebt wie eine Primaballerina über die Tanzfläche. Im energiegeladenen Finale ein langes Crescendo mit schwarzbeerigen Konturen, salzigem Extrakt und edler Terroir-Würze; gewaltiges Lagerpotenzial. Das kann man (fast) nicht besser machen, mich hat er völlig in seinen Bann gezogen und spielt dieses Jahr in einer eigenen Liga!"

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Ockerrandaufhellung. Zart floral unterlegtes dunkles Waldbeerkonfit, Nuancen von Brombeeren und Lakritze, feine tabakige Noten, ein Hauch von Orangenzesten, mineralischer Touch. Stoffig, sehr komplex, zart schokoladige, fleischige Textur, reife, tragende Tannine, samtiger und lange anhaftender Stil, süße Kirschen im Nachhall, mineralisch-salzig, tolle Länge, sicheres Reifepotenzial für Jahrzehnte."

DECANTER: "A floral bouquet on the nose, soft but deep with such clarity and such a beautiful vivid pink red colour in the glass too. The texture here is striking, smooth and mouth filling with intensity but so well presented, precise, fine and amazingly detailed. The word for 2019 is energy and this has it in abundance, it’s vibrant and alive in the mouth with such brightness. Mouthwatering acidity is set against a chalky texture so you get a full mouthfeel without any heaviness. Great structure and balance. You could almost drink this now to enjoy the immediate enjoyment but a recent tasting of the 2009 suggests this has a very long life ahead. A wine you can fall in love with! Drinking Window 2024 - 2047"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Incredibly rich, lush, powerful, full-bodied and concentrated, as well as poised, balanced, and harmonious and fresh, the wine opens with an array of flowers, tobacco leaf, currants, black plums, espresso, smoke and herbs. Vibrant, seductive, long and complex, the wine is a beautiful expression of the vineyard with all of its complexities and nuances. It should drink a bit earlier than the 2015, 2016 and 2018. But it will still need time in the cellar. Drink from 2030-2060."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The wine has precision, power and density, concentration and layer upon layer of fruit. The wine's spicy edge complements the impressive tannins, ripe texture and certainly promises much for the future. It will age well, drink from 2026."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2019 Haut-Bailly unwinds in the glass with complex aromas of dark berries, bay leaf, loamy soil and cigar wrapper, framed by a discreet patina of new oak. Full-bodied, velvety and elegantly muscular, it's powerful and concentrated, with lively acids and an abundance of ripe but youthfully assertive structuring tannin that will demand some patience."

JEB DUNNUCK: "A beautiful, elegant, and quintessential expression of this terroir, the deep ruby/purple-hued 2019 Château Haut-Bailly offers up a tight yet promising bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, darker cherries, iron, tobacco leaf, scorched earth, and cedar pencil. Possessing incredible minerality, medium to full body, ripe tannins, and a classy, aristocratic, regal style, it opens up nicely with air and will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and have a lengthy prime drinking plateau of 20-30 years. It's another pure class release from this great estate, which is run by the talented Véronique Sanders."