2018 Château Haut-Bailly - 6er Holzkiste

The 2018 Haut-Bailly replicated its showing in my in-bottle tastings. Wonderful violet and iris aromas burst from the glass with ample black fruit. The palate is beautifully balanced, silky smooth with a sumptuous, quite precocious finish. It just envelops the senses and leaves them gagging for more...but best wait a few years. Tasted at the Haut-Bailly vertical at the château.

- Neal Martin (06/2021)

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. (02/2022)

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. (10/2023)

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. (Tasted twice, at Southwold and at the Chateau). (09/2023)

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. 5,000 cases made.

- J.M.

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.

- Lisa Perrotti-Brown (03/2021)