2017 Château Haut-Bailly Pessac-Léognan Rouge

Tasting notes

The Merlots are fruity and balanced. The Cabernets have good aromatic freshness, a savory tannic structure, and nice density.The harvest volume is reduced. But the blend of the Haut-Bailly 2017, which is particularly floral, comes from plots spared by frost that represent the historic heart of the vineyard.

Vintage Notes

After a harsh winter and a mild spring, the 2017 vintage is shaping up to be an early one, with bud break occurring as early as March 25. The end of April was marked by late frosts of rare intensity during the nights of the 27th and 28th. Although this frost caused damage to our lower-lying plots, it spared our historic plots.
Then nature reasserted itself: a warm spring encouraged rapid vine growth and further accentuated the early start; flowering (May 20-25) was two weeks ahead of schedule. In the frozen areas, vegetative growth was phenomenal, with bushy vines to the detriment of second-generation fruit set. The exceptional rainfall at the end of June (120 mm in three days) mitigated the risk of water stress that had been feared. However, the weather conditions in July and August made this one of the driest vintages, alongside 2000, 2005, and 2012. During the summer, alternating hot and cooler days created good ripening conditions. Veraison started early (end of July) and was particularly uniform.

Viticulture

The early ripening of the vintage was confirmed and harvesting began on September 13 with the Merlot grapes. The Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot grapes were harvested on a magnificent day on September 22. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were harvested in ideal conditions from September 25 to 29.