Château Haut-Bailly Winery Guide
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Last updated: June 4, 2024
Winery Overview
Few estates in Bordeaux inspire the same affection as Haut-Bailly. And with good reason. Their wines are superb, the Château is beautiful, and the owners are always friendly and welcoming. It is a star in the Pessac-Leognan region of Bordeaux, making incredibly consistent, fine red wine at a reasonable price! Haut-Bailly is hard to beat for a great introduction to the wines of Bordeaux.
The property was created in the 1630s by a Parisian banker called Firmin Le Bailly in partnership with a wine merchant named Nicolas de Leuvarde. It passed through various hands until 1872, when it was acquired by an engineer Alcide Henri Bellot des Minieres (let’s stick to Alcide!), who built the Château and planted the ancestors of the vineyards we see today. As with so many of these great estates, a period of instability and neglect would follow Alcide’s death in 1906, when the property was inherited by his daughter, who quickly sold it. Thankfully, in 1955 a Belgian merchant, Daniel Sanders, brought Haut-Bailly and replanted much of the property. Unbelievably, only 10 hectares were under vine at the time, as many vineyards had been abandoned and given to grazing land. In 1979, his son Jean took over and continued his father’s work restoring the property to its original size.
Jean Sanders had a few years to enjoy his hard work until his sisters decided they wanted their share of the estate. As fortune would have it, the Château was purchased by a banker from New York State called Robert Wilmers, who had a real passion for the region and its wines. He has continued the hard work of Jean and invested heavily in Haut-Bailly. Today, it produces some of the best value wine in the region, never disappointing, consistently excellent. The Château offers a fantastic view of the vineyards, blessed with magical soil and situation that make outstanding wines. We can organize a private stay at the Château for very special guests, including superb meals created by your own chef.
Wines produced
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Château Haut-Bailly (Grand Vin)
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 18 months in 50% new oak barrels. -
La Parde de Haut-Bailly (Second wine of the property)
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 18 months in 50% new oak barrels. Less concentration and power than the first wine. -
Rosé de Haut-Bailly
Rosé Wine, 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc.
Winery Contact Details
Château Haut-Bailly
25 Chemin Le Thil33850 Léognan, Bordeaux
France
Email: [email protected]
Tel +33 (0) 556 64 75 11
Fax +33 (0) 556 64 53 60 Find out more
Facts & Figures
Appellation
AOC Pessac-Léognan
Founded
1630
Area under Vine
33 ha
Age of vines
35 years+
Oak barrel origin
French
Winemaker
Gabriel Vialard
Owner
Robert Wilmers
Production
160,000 bottles
Grape varietals
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc
Grape Varieties Used by the Winery
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Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc grape is a close relative of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and is the principal blending grape used in Bordeaux.
Find out more -
Cabernet Sauvignon
Discover the irresistible allure of Cabernet Sauvignon—a worldwide favorite with robust, dark-bodied flavor. Unleash your wine journey today!
Find out more -
Merlot
Merlot is the most cultivated grape in Bordeaux and closely related to Cabernet Franc
Find out more
Author
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More information
If you would like us to customize an exclusive luxury tour, contact us and let us know your travel plans. We offer luxury food and wine tours for private groups of a mininium two guests. In addition, all of our private, chauffeured tours are available year-round upon request.
