Château Haut-Bailly 2011

Remains—alongside Mission and Haut-Brion—the best wine of the appellation, even if it trails the very best wines of the year by a point. Distinct tannins with great freshness that have nothing to hide, interesting, restrained aromatics, palpable breed: it doesn’t get more classic. Needs to age.

Shows a grippy feel, with lots of briar, pastis and plum sauce notes rolled together and driving through the sappy finish. Well-embedded acidity pushes everything along, while a pure echo of fruit hangs through the finish. Should blossom with cellaring. Best from 2016 through 2028.

As with 2007, this 2011 is bursting with pleasure right now. Carefully controlled and elegant while still juicy, allowing the tannins to tiptoe across the palate in that way Haut-Bailly does so well. Fine tannins, well-expressed cassis and blackberry fruit, with a curl of pencil lead and cool ash on the finish. The spring of 2011 was the hottest and driest in 50 years, with only 78 mm of rain falling between March and June, balanced by a cool and rather wet July and August, then a warm September that provided a good ripening window while preserving this elegant, savory fruit frame. The harvest ran from September 9 to 29.

Wow. Wonderfully aromatic nose of currants, blackberries and lilacs. Full-bodied yet refined and beautiful. The quality of the tannins is exceptional. So fine. Lovely austerity and tension on the finish. Better in 2016.

Deep black cherry but some brick at the rim. Dark spicy fruit and dark chocolate. Firm grip, but there is fruit at the core of that tannic structure, just constrained at the moment. Very tightly gripping tannins and just enough freshness to balance. (JH)

Forward, accessible, styled wine, with loads of upfront, earthy, smoky fruit and gentle, soft, textured tannins.

The 2011 Château Haut-Bailly has tough shoes to fill following the 2009 and 2010, yet it's clearly an outstanding wine. More medium-bodied, focused, and firm, yet with a complex, layered style, it shows the tannins of the vintage, but the overall balance here is spot on and it has beautiful purity of fruit. It's not one to hide away in the cellar, but it will unquestionably evolve gracefully over the coming decade.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with garnet highlights at the rim. The bouquet is profound and classic in its aromas; in other words, HB shows an immediate, clear Cabernet dominance, with black fruit led by cassis and blackberry, complemented by tobacco and floral notes, medium sweetness and drive. Refined palate, beautifully integrated tannins carrying a gentle sweetness, solid backbone with subtly powdery tannins on the extract.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc: deep purple, dense at the core, garnet hue at the rim. The bouquet is profound and classically styled, meaning a clear Cabernet dominance on the first nose, black fruits led by cassis and blackberry, tobacco, with floral notes as well, medium sweetness and drive. Fine palate, beautifully established tannins carrying a gentle sweetness, good backbone with subtly powdery tannins on the extract. Very close to its own 2008, with a touch more substance. (18/20). 15: Tasted right after the slightly restrained barrel sample of the 2014 vintage. Dreamy, very spicy, plum-toned Cabernet bouquet, fairly forward. On the palate, full, fleshy, with good support. A small vintage? No – a great wine. It’s immensely enjoyable. (18/20). 16: At a dinner at Haut-Bailly. Dark-roasted nose. On the palate, flesh and bite. Needs just a little more time. (18/20). 21: Medium ruby with the slightest hint of maturity. Fairly open bouquet, conveying ripe plums and a faint earthy sweetness, then stag leather and woody notes. On the second nose, demi-glace. Here too you find the indication that this wine, at least on the nose, shows clear early maturity. And that’s exactly how it continues on the palate. The flow is malty, the extract soft on the outside, still slightly brittle inside, pleasant finish. Very good – without further ambition. For now: 17/20.

A fragrant, spicy, powerful, and fresh bouquet with notes of cherries, tobacco, blackberries, and plums. Balanced, fragrant, and fresh palate with a silky structure, fine tannins, dark, intense aromatics, and a long, fresh finish. 18/20 drink - 2038

This is precise, welcoming, graceful, full of crayon and graphite notes. Coming into its drinking window now, and the ash, campfire and cigar box aromatics of Haut-Bailly, along with iris flowers, blueberry and cassis fruit, and an elegant, drawn-out finish are reason enough to explore a vintage that is often overlooked. Harvest 9 to 29 September, Denis Dubourdieu consultant.

A quiet, restrained nose with pure fruit. On the palate, the wine is playful and fresh, with a crunchy, chiselled edge, bound by fine tannins.

2011 has never had an easy time, but challenges are embraced at Haut-Bailly. The wine shows a very fine fruity expression and plenty of freshness. In this vein, it reveals nuances of red berries and peppermint, complemented by graphite notes. In short, it’s a Haut-Bailly bouquet. The wine stands out for its slender attack. However, it gains density across the palate, thanks to tannins that are discreet yet effective. I believe it owes its success above all to its acidic structure, which supports the fruit expression and the persistence of the finish. The wine is in great shape and shows excellent performance—far more than some expect of it. All the better!

The nose is fruity, racy and offers lovely freshness, a small well-framed intensity and a slightly elongated character. It reveals notes of fresh blackberry, pulpy wild raspberry and, more subtly, small pulpy/juicy fruits, combined with a touch of cornflower, blond tobacco, blue fruits and graphite, as well as fine hints of minty/licorice/star anise, a subtle hint of pepper and an imperceptible almost iodized note. The palate is fruity, beautifully mineral, fresh, focused, tense, elongated, almost slender, and offers some flesh, controlled power, sapidity, roundness and a tangy backbone. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of fairly ripe wild blackberry, raspberry and, more slightly, juicy/fresh strawberry, combined with touches of graphite, tonka bean and cardamom, as well as a subtle almost meaty-juice hint, toasted/toasted almond and a subtle hint of chocolate/cocoa. The tannins are precise, racy and finely tight. Good length. The finish is finely powdery.

Logo on the cork: AL Medium, evolved color. Beautiful, very aromatic nose with ripe, subtle fruit. Smoky touch. Caressing on the attack, fruity mid-palate, the wine then changes, showing austere tannins despite lovely aromas. Normal length. Needs more time.

Another vintage that one readily describes as “classic” in Bordeaux. That suits us very well. Coming after 2009 and 2010, which generated great enthusiasm, 2011 returns to a more restrained register that appeals to lovers of fine Bordeaux. The nose is slender, with pure fruit, a menthol touch, notes of blond tobacco, and a hint of toast. The palate reveals great finesse, like lace, marked by well-defined black fruit at perfect ripeness and chiselled tannins. The texture is silky and very elegant, leading to a crunchy, mouthwatering finish. It’s a racy wine, a true gentleman.

92-94. Barrel sample. Packed with dense tannins and firm fruit, this is a big, powerful wine. It is initially austere, but with time it becomes more rounded, with layers of wood tannins and rich fruit.