Château Haut-Bailly
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Château Haut-Bailly is a winery in the Pessac-Léognan sub appellation of the Graves appellation in the Bordeaux region of France. Château Haut-Bailly is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The chateau was classified as one of the sixteen Grands Crus Classés when the wines of Graves were classified in 1959.
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[edit] Vineyard
Château Haut-Bailly's vineyard is located along the left bank of the Garonne river. Neighboring estates include Château La Louviere and Château Carbonnieux. The soil consists of sand mixed with the gravel that gives the Graves appellation it's name (Graves is French for gravel). The plantings are divided up as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc.
[edit] The Wine
The grapes for Haut-Bailly are harvested by hand, processed, and then fermented for up to ten days in both temperature controlled stainless steel and concrete vats of varying sizes. After maceration the wines are aged for eighteen months in oak barrels, many of which are new. In a typical vintage, between thirty and forty percent of the wine is relegated to the estate's second label, La Parde de Haut-Bailly. Unlike many wines from the Graves appellation, no white wine is produced at Haut-Bailly.
Vintages since 2000 have received praise from critics like Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson.
