Château Haut-Bailly "The Lanting Box" Shuo Yuan 2015 & 2016 | 2 Flaschen

2015:

The 2015 Haut-Bailly is simply "singing" on the nose with irresistible, quite opulent red berry fruit. Wild strawberry, raspberry and cranberry are laced with iris petal and potpourri. Exquisite. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, melted red berry fruit mixed with cracked black pepper, sage and tobacco. This is very cohesive and complex on the finish, perhaps the most sophisticated Haut-Bailly up until this point. Tasted at the Haut-Bailly vertical at the château.

2016:

The 2016 Haut-Bailly is brilliant on the nose with exquisite delineation and focus: blackberries, potpourri, crushed stone and hints of violet petal. This is utterly seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, perfectly judged acidity, very cohesive and almost Pauillac-like towards the finish. This is a very classy Haut-Bailly as you would expect, and the length is stupendous. Tasted at the Haut-Bailly vertical at the château.

- Neal Martin

2015:

This is an incredible young red with precision and focus that is second to almost none. Full body with a ultra-fine tannin drive that is seamless as it is endless. It ends with such power. Try in 2024 but already impressive to taste.

2016:

Wonderful aromas of tobacco, sweet fruit and licorice follow through to a full body with ultra-fine tannins that caress every inch of your palate. Love the length and subtlety to this young wine. Gorgeous. Drink after 2024.

2015:

The 2015 Haut Bailly checks in as a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot that comes from the gravelly soils of the Graves region, just southeast of Bordeaux. It’s an incredibly beautiful, classy 2015 that offers a sexy bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, tobacco leaf, and exotic spices. Deep, full-bodied, and voluptuously textured, with ultra-fine tannin and building richness that never takes away from its incredible elegance and purity, it’s another heavenly 2015 that’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and just sing for 2-3 decades. Hats off to winemaker Véronique Sanders – this might end up rivaling the out of this world 2009.

2016:

Matching the brilliant 2015, the 2016 Château Haut Bailly checks in as a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new French oak. This sensational effort boasts a deep purple color as well as a massive bouquet of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, crushed flowers, and graphite, with just hints of smoky earth emerging with time in the glass. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated, it’s nevertheless all about finesse and elegant, and this beauty just glides across the palate. Reminding me a little bit of the 2009 with its textural richness and length, it’s another awesome wine from Véronique Sanders that’s capable of keeping for 30+ years.