Chateau Haut Bailly, Pessac Leognan, 2013

Robert Parker Jr. – 91-93/100 Points

The harvest occurred at this beautiful estate in the heart of Pessac-Leognan between October 1-10. Production was tiny, and Veronique Sanders, the brilliant winemaker, was worried about pushing for too much extraction, so vinification was intelligently done in a gentle manner in order to extract the softest tannins possible. (…) There are only 2,500 cases of the 2013 Haut-Bailly because yields were a microscopic 20 hectoliters per hectare. Made from a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this elegant effort boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as a beautiful, intriguing bouquet of spring flowers, creme de cassis, plums and an underlying Graves earthiness. Layered with more texture and concentration than many of its peers, it will benefit from several years of cellaring, and should last an atypically long time of 20 years.