France - Bordeaux (Graves)

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Online Shop > France - Bordeaux (Graves)

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Château Haut Bailly - 1994 - Château Haut-Bailly
Ref: A046894
Cru Classé Pessac Léognan Graves

Rich in fruit and tannins which are soft and approachable.

The birth of the property can be dated as 1872 when Alcide Bellot des Minières built the chateau. Bellot des Minières was a viticultural expert, perhaps a Emile Peynaud of his day and was often referred to as "King of Winegrowers". He instigated the draining and levelling of the land and paid meticulous attention to the soil, rich in "faluns of Léognan" (faluns is a petrified sandstone distinguished with a high content of fossilized shellfish.) However no-one is omniscient and he opposed the grafting of non-vinifera American rootstock to combat the phylloxera epidemic, describing the practice as "a foul abomination". But with his expertise and know-how, the wines of Haut-Bailly rapidly rose through the ranks until it obtained prices close to that of First Growths.

The vineyard is located in one single block on the highest part on the left bank of the Garonne river. The topsoil is sand mixed with Tertiary era gravel, over a subsoil of the aforementioned faluns de Léognan. The present varietal planting is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and there is still 15% planted with vines dating back to the post-phylloxera period of Bellot des Minières.

The grapes are picked by hand, sorted, destemmed and fermented in two vat-rooms, one equipped with stainless steel and the other concrete vats which are both temperature-controlled. There are a variety of vat-sizes ranging from 30hl up to 180hl so the parcels of grapes can be vinified in the appropriately sized vessel. Fermentation takes 8 to 10 days, followed by a skin-maceration period of 3 weeks to extract tannin and colour. The wine is then aged in barrel for around 18 months, with the percentage in new oak dependant upon the vintage. The wine is bottled without any fining or filtration. Annual production is normally around 10,000 cases of Grand Vin. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot 10% Cabernet Franc

Price: £32.68
Including VAT at 17.5%

Qty:

France - Bordeaux (Graves)	1994	Medium Bodied
Cabernet-Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc	Red	Beef/Game/Cheese
Château Haut-Bailly	Dry	Drink Now

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