Chateau Haut-Bailly Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 2024

Deep garnet-purple colored. Comes bounding out with exuberant notes of black cherries and fresh black currants, plus hints of violets, dark chocolate, and menthol with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is coated with bright blackberry flavors, supported by soft, silky tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

Soft floral aromatics, dried flowers, violets and iris with rose petals. Cola, crushed stones and cool blue fruit elements. Some strawberry and cranberry touches too. Great aromatics, delicate though. Perfumed in the best way. Juicy and alive, this has a lovely lifted expression almost straight away but the acidity is balanced by a creamy, cool touch - some tobacco and toast elements putting the wood around the edges, ending on a graphite and salty note. Slim and svelte, lightly built with delicacy and finesse that this estate does so well. Ageing 50% new oak. 3.65pH. 50% grand vin.

Savoury, precise and poised, with lovely texture, softly spoken with high floral aromatics, rose petals, peony, fine tannins, drawn out character, long slow build of tension through the palate, unrolling to show white truffle and mint leaf. Tannic grip, estate signature, more softly spoken than in recent vintages, but Haut-Bailly has proved over and over again that it is capable of delivering over the long term, and that it delivers excellence even in challenging vintages - an upscore potential in bottle. Harvest 18 September to 4 October, 30hl/h yield. Gabriel Vialard technical director.

The Grand Vin 2024 Château Haut-Bailly is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc that will spend 18 months in 50% new oak. It's an incredibly elegant, seamless Haut-Bailly, offering perfumed red and black fruits, spring flowers, spice, and loamy earth. These carry to a medium-bodied Pessac-Léognan with a layered, pure mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. As always, it's not the biggest or richest wine in the vintage, but it shines for its finesse and elegance.

The 2024 Haut-Bailly was picked from September 25 to October 4 and matured in 50% new oak, possibly with a shorter élevage. As usual, it deserves patience at this stage as it gradually opens and coheres with aeration. This has a perfumed bouquet built around redcurrant, cranberry and wild strawberry fruit. It's quite floral in style with finely delineated touches of freshly-rolled tobacco and wilted rose petal. The palate is creamy on the entry and velvety in texture, with finely chiseled, lace-like tannins. It is very well balanced with one of the few sensual vintages that you will find from this year. This will be much earlier drinking than other vintages, but that does not detract from what will be one of the most pleasurable 2024s to drink.

The 2024 Haut-Bailly is an elegant, classy wine. Soft, sensual contours lend notable charm. The 2024 is an especially aromatic, perfumed Haut-Bailly. Its mid-weight structure is best described as Burgundian, for lack of a better term. Silky tannins frame it all in style. Readers should expect a decidedly understated, quiet Haut-Bailly.