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Now Viewing: Chateau Haut Bailly
Chateau Haut Bailly lies fairly centrally in the cluster of vineyards south of Bordeaux that make up Pessac-Léognan, not far from the village of Léognan itself. Its nearest neighbours, to the south and north respectively, include Chateau Larrivet-Haut Brion and Chateau La Louvière. The origin of the estate is uncertain, but it was purchased by the great viticulturist Alcide Bellot des Minières in 1872, with the encouragement of Cardinal Bonnet, Archbishop of Bordeaux. You don't argue with French Cardinals, you know. Within a few years Bellot des Minières had built the chateau which stands to this day, no doubt funded by the profits of wine sales; Haut Bailly frequently sold for prices similar to those of the first growths. Haut Bailly was subsequently sold to Daniel Sanders in 1955, who then sold it on to his son Jean in 1979. The Sanders family remain at Haut Bailly, with Veronique Sanders calling the shots. But they are only part of the team. Since 1998 the estate has been in the ownership of US banker Robert Wilmers, but under the management of the Sanders family, with Gabriel Vialard running the cellars. The soils at Haut Bailly are a mixture of sand and gravel over faluns , a soil rich in fossilised shells. The vines themselves are mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), with 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. There are also a few plots of old vines, close to the chateau buildings, dating from the immediate post-Phylloxera era, which comprise a mix of these three varieties together with Petit Verdot and Malbec. These were some of the earliest vines in the region to be grafted onto American rootstock before planting, a practice to which Bellot des Minières was strongly opposed. Fermentation of the harvested grapes, following sorting in both the vineyard and winery, is carried out in the usual stainless steel, temperature-controlled environment. Vats are of varying capacity to facilitate fermentation according to individual plots. There is 100% destemming and a three week cuvaison, with malolactic fermentation in barrel (50-60% new), where the wine spends up to eighteen months. There is no white wine produced here, so only the red Chateau Haut Bailly qualifies as the grand vin.
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