Cheatau Haut Bailly 2011 - 750ml

Estate History:
Haut-Bailly sits in Pessac-Léognan in the Graves, about thirty hectares in one block, known for finesse and smoky minerality rather than sheer power. After Robert Wilmers bought the estate, Véronique Sanders ran it to a higher plane. Denis Dubourdieu consulted. Vines average about 45–50 years; some are over a century. The 2011 is a hallmark of that era—elegance over mass.

Wine Introduction:
Spring 2011 was among the hottest and driest in fifty years; late-June hot winds damaged Cabernet Sauvignon and forced severe sorting. A cooler, wetter July–August then a warm September allowed a 9–29 September harvest at about 38 hl/ha. The usual published blend is about 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc (the château has also listed a higher Cabernet share). Extraction was gentle and cool to avoid green tannin. Parker 94+, Decanter 94, later Suckling around 95. Drinking now through about 2035.

Tasting Notes:
Nosing: Blackcurrant, sweet cherry, graphite, truffle and a hint of wood spice.
Palate: Medium body, very fine tannin—blackberry, pencil lead and cool ash.
Finish: Long and precise, with tobacco, wet stone and fresh acidity.