Haut Bailly II 2nd Wine of Chateau Haut Bailly Pessac-Leognan 2019 750ml

Georgina Hindle writes: Wow, dark berries and violets on the nose, so sensuous, smells rich and round. Beautifully fresh on the palate, there is a real zing and burst of red fruit juiciness but also a lovely cooling freshness straight from the start. Almost has a blue fruit touch but there's strawberries, raspberries and red cherries too. Smooth tannins with a gently chalky grip that coat the mouth giving structure and body. So linear and straight yet also layered, nothing is too overt or in your face - precise and really elegant. I love this - gentle and well presented. Excellent. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking 2024 - 2039 - Decanter 94

Jane Anson writes: Chewy depth to the tannins, buoyed up by juice rippling through the red berry fruits. Gourmet and silky, a creamy texture through the mid palate with hints of subtle caramel and baked earth. Excellent. - Vinous 92

Jeb Dunnuck writes: The second wine of Château Haut-Bailly and based largely on Merlot, the 2019 Haut-Bailly II is a soft, seductive Graves with beautiful blue and black fruit as well as notes of chocolate, tobacco, and damp earth. Medium to full-bodied, with delicious fruit and silky tannins, drink it on release and over the following 10-15 years. Drinking 2020 - 2035 - Jeb Dunnuck 90-91

James Lawther MW writes: Ripe and pure on the nose. Dark-fruit notes, the cassis more obvious as it opens. Medium bodied with a touch of sweetness on attack then crunchy fruit on the mid palate. Slight savoury edge then minerally and dry on the finish, the Graves imprint present. Drinking 2025 - 2034 - Jancis Robinson 16.5

Neal Martin writes: The 2019 Haut-Bailly II, the second wine of Haut-Bailly, has accentuated the sous-bois elements on the nose since bottling, now feeling quintessentially Pessac-Léognan and quite marine-influenced in style. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, taut and fresh, still a little piquant on the finish but with more precision than I recall. This is very impressive. Excellent. - Vinous 93

Antonio Galloni writes: The 2019 Haut-Bailly II is much more elegant and nuanced than it was from barrel, always a great thing to see. Silky tannins wrap around a core of bright red berry, spice, tobacco, cedar and mint in this gracious, mid-weight second wine from the estate. The 2019 will surely improve in bottle, but it is pretty enticing today. Drinking 2024 - 2039 - Vinous 93

William Kelley writes: The 2019 Haut-Bailly II exhibits aromas of rich berry fruit, cassis, cigar wrapper and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and polished, with a ripe core of fruit and plenty of rich, powdery tannin, it's a Merlot-dominated blend that was composed at the moment of assemblage (as opposed to a selection of dedicated plots). Drinking 2023 -2045 - Robert Parker 90