Our vintages

Vintage 2023 : Odyssey

To make the 2023 vintage a success, we needed patience, rigour and confidence, but also a passion for beauty. A great wine is like a legendary perfume: the winemaker uses all his senses in the quest for perfect balance and harmony.

Our wines

Each vintage of Haut-Bailly is the interpretation in time of a timeless score. There lies the delicate and mysterious art of blending, an expression of the authenticity of the terroir and the complexity of the combinations chosen to signify the purity and elegance of our wines.

The year we spent in the vineyard in 2023 was a veritable Odyssey: an eventful journey, an adventure punctuated by obstacles that our team’s dedication and skills were able to overcome.

Each vintage of Haut-Bailly is the interpretation in time of a timeless score. There lies the delicate and mysterious art of blending, an expression of the authenticity of the terroir and the complexity of the combinations chosen to signify the purity and elegance of our wines.

The year we spent in the vineyard in 2023 was a veritable Odyssey: an eventful journey, an adventure punctuated by obstacles that our team’s dedication and skills were able to overcome.

Blend

Château Haut-Bailly
Haut-Bailly II

Weather condition

  Winter: Cold

  Spring: Warm

  Summer: Tropical

  Autumn : Mild

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 couId liken it to being in lthaca, with the green of the magnificent foliage replacing the blue of the lonian 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.

Harvest

The harvest took place in ideal conditions, with only one day of rain, on September 21st. The harvest began on September 11th with the Merlots and ended on September 29th with the Cabernets Sauvignons.

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.

Harvest date : 11th – 29th September


En Primeurs tasting

Château Haut-Bailly

March 2024

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.

Haut-Bailly II

March 2024

Haut-Bailly•II 2023 is a delicious second wine with a predominant smoothness. The bouquet is marked by fruit and freshness.

PRESS

96-98 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 – Vinous
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
96 Such pretty aromatics, gorgeous florally on the nose-roses and peonies, blackcurrant leaf, cranberries and cherries with some plum and black chocolate too.
Soft and smooth, sumptuous like Haut-Bailly usually is. Juicy and plump for the vintage, it keeps its defined frame thanks to fine tannins with slightly sharp edges but it also has some softness with ripe fruit and lots of freshness. This is a real success, slightly hot on the finish and a little toasted but this has finesse and complexity with layered of flavour and texture. Stylish and confident.
Georgie Hindle – Decanter