Primeur

To make 2023 a success, we needed patience, rigour and confidence, but also a passion for beauty.

Véronique Sanders, President

Weather conditions

  Winter : Cold

  Spring : Warm

  Summer : Hot and dry

  Autumn : Beautiful

The year we spent in the vineyard was a veritable Odyssey: an eventful journey, an adventure punctuated by obstacles that our team’s dedication and skills were able to overcome.

After a 2022 vintage which was particularly hot and dry, 2023 began with a cool start. Pruning took place in the depths of winter, sometimes even in the snow. Frosty spells were avoided at the start of Spring, which was characterised by mild, then warm temperatures. Flowering took place between May 22nd and June 10th in warm, dry conditions.

The months of June and July were tropical, with particularly heavy downy mildew pressure, which the estate’s winegrowers managed to contain thanks to their responsiveness and the lessons learned from the 2018, 2020 and 2021 vintages. For the rest of the summer, the vines and winegrowers had to contend with high, and even very high, temperatures from mid-August to the end of September. One could liken it to being in Ithaca, with the green of the magnificent foliage replacing the blue of the Ionian Sea.

2023 was therefore characterised by a wide range of temperatures and a diversity of climatic conditions, comparable to those you might encounter on a long-haul voyage… Such is the Odyssey that this vintage offered us.

Here is the journey that the 2023 vintage invites us to take.

Wines

The satisfaction of overcoming adversity is followed by the joy of a wine that is both full-bodied and opulent, fresh and pure, enriched by these varied weather conditions. The Merlots, of a quality at least equal to that of 2022, have the roundness and charm of modernity. The Cabernets have the beauty and purity of classicism. From Antiquity to the present day, this is the journey that the 2023 vintage invites us to take.

CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY

HAUT-BAILLY II

May this vintage inspire you, and its intensity delight you, now and in the decades to come!

PRESS

98-100 La couleur était déjà bien annoncée par Haut-Bailly II. Le 1er vin assume sereinement le défi posé son second. Il faut dire que lorsque les jalons sont si bien posés, on ne peut que bénéficier de cette voie royale. Intense et précis, le bouquet a un évident focus sur le fruit et la fraîcheur respectivement des notes de baies rouges et de cassis tandis que de fines nuances boisées agissent en coulisse. L’attaque se veut également précise. Elle annonce le vin avec délicatesse et laisse la voie libre à un Haut Bailly puissant, profond, tonique, aux tannins subtils et vigoureux, bien enrobés de surcroît. Un vin linéaire, pure, précis et d’une rare persistance. Encore une fois, Haut-Bailly. Yves Beck
96-98 The 2023 Haut-Bailly was picked from September 11 to 29 at 40.5hL/ha. It is being raised in 50% new oak for a planned 14 months, plus another three in vats. Véronique Sanders told me that there is 6% vin de presse in the blend this year. This has a beguiling bouquet that instantly switches on a metaphorical neon sign that announces you are in the presence of a very serious wine. Extremely pure and delineated, the nose presents aromas of blackberry mixed with wild strawberry, cedar and light sous-bois. It’s much more classical in style compared to the 2022. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins that frame the blackberry, raspberry, cedar and graphite-infused fruit. It boasts more grip and persistency on the finish than its peers, with a residual subtle pinch of black pepper. This ranks as one of the standout wines in Pessac-Léognan, perhaps in Bordeaux itself. Outstanding. Neal Martin
97-98 I am thinking about the purity of fruit here, with blackcurrants, cassis and lead pencil. There’s an underlying character of mineral and flint. The palate is dense, focused and precise, with very fine tannins that are ultra-fine and layered and go vertically down the palate. Everything is in the right place. So much polish and a svelte nature. Then hints of hazelnut and walnut to the refined texture. Sophisticated. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. James Suckling
95 Beau rouge pourpre. Nez intense, fin, pur, fruité et subtil. Délicat en entrée de bouche, avec de suite de la classe dans le toucher, le vin caresse le palais. Il évolue sur un corps juteux, vers une finale aux arômes fins et aux appuis tanniques modérés. Bonne longueur. Vinification ultra light. Assemblage : 58 % cabernet sauvignon, 34 % merlot, 4 % cabernet franc, 4 % petit verdot. Degré d’alcool : 14°3 – pH : 3,75 – IPT : 74. Rendement : 40 hl/ha. 10 % de vin de presse. Jean-Marc Quarin
95-97 Un vin clair, sans saturation chromatique, mais d’une magnifique plénitude et d’une grande sérénité. L’identité du cru est parfaitement retranscrite dans cette version tout en finesse, expressive, d’emblée charmeuse, au parfum charnel de pivoine rouge. Indéniablement svelte. La matière s’exprime en longueur étirée, sans le moindre creux, maigreur ni angulosité. La saveur est pure, prenante, distinguée. La structure tannique suit le flot de la chair sans jamais s’imposer. C’est une grande réussite qui confirme que les millésimes moins massifs conviennent à merveille à Haut-Bailly. Pierre Citerne, RVF
94-96 The 2023 Haut-Bailly is one of the most sensual, elegant wines I have tasted here. Soft, curvy and racy, the 2023 is impeccably balanced right out of the gate. Deceptively approachable and soft, the 2023 is much more about finesse than power. It’s a wine that represents the new spirit of Bordeaux—a wine that emphasizes understatement and class. Antonio Galloni
97-100 Entrée en bouche fruitée et avenante. Il s’allonge, crémeux, avec une belle dimension tactile, subtilement structuré. Le tanin est d’une grande élégance.
 Clio Perrin, 1000 Plateaux
19 Reminds me of the nimble Muhammad Ali. Clearly belongs to the top league in Pessac-Léognan. Tjark Wisser, Weinwisser