Château Haut-Bailly

Revitalised by its new owners since the 1950s, this relatively small but well-positioned Graves estate is regaining the high status it enjoyed a century ago, reveals John Stimpfig

Why iS ChâTEAu haut-Bailly still such an insiders’ wine? is it because this discreet, bijou estate makes only a few thousand cases of grand cru classe de Graves. Or is it also because canny collectors jealously like to keep it a closely guarded secret?

One thing is clear – today haut-Bailly is one of the most consistent and quintessentially elegant clarets. Another is that its estimable quality stems from an exceptional red wine terroir, which its various owners and custodians have often done their utmost to reflect during its illustrious history. in effect therefore, haut-Bailly has been doubly blessed – both by its proprietors and its position.

The vineyard sits adjacent to the château in a single unified block on the highest ridge of the Pessac-Léognan AC. The vines fall away on a gentle gradient, giving perfect exposure. A special mesoclimate protects it from spring frosts, while a mix of gravelly soils and subsoils provide minerals, moderate water stress and excellent drainage. Jean-Bernard Delmas, formerly of Château haut-Brion, has famously described it as ’a truly great terroir’.

Auspicious beginnings

At its core lies a unique, 4ha (hectare) plot with vines that are 120 years old, co-planted to a density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The majority here are Cabernet Sauvignon with equal quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Malbec. ‘The quality and concentration of this vineyard is incredible and it never fails to perform,’ says haut-Bailly’s president Véronique Sanders (of whom much more later). indeed, she calls it ‘the beating heart of haut-Bailly’.

it was conceived and planted by Alcide Bellot des Minières, who acquired the property in 1872. A colourful character, des Minières embarked on a quest to transform haut-Bailly. under his tenure, the estate entered a remarkable golden age in which its reputation and prices equalled and occasionally bested the Bordeaux first growths.

The good times continued into the 20th century but dwindled between the wars. When Daniel Sanders, a Belgian wine merchant, bought it in 1955, it had changed hands a number of times and endured a damaging period of neglect. Although money was short, Daniel and his son Jean began systematically reversing this decline. They replanted vineyards and re-equipped the cellars under the advice of Emile Peynaud, who began as consultant here in 1956.

in 1979, Jean took over from his father, but the labour of love remained a work in progress, partly because he had to maintain his day job to finance the ongoing improvements. ‘There was no full-time team, as there is now,’ says Jean’s granddaughter Véronique. Nevertheless, the wines improved immeasurably and by the late 1980s, Jean had heroically planted the vineyard to its maximum capacity.

Despite this, he was forced to sell his beloved haut-Bailly less than a decade later, because family members wanted a share of the property. Both he and Véronique, who joined in 1997, were devastated. ‘i was heartbroken,’ she recalls. ‘it was my childhood dream to live