CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY 1996
Château Haut-Bailly is located in Pessac-Léognan , Bordeaux . It was granted Grand Cru Classé status in the 1959 Graves Classification . The foundations of modern vineyards date back to the mid-1530s, under the ownership of the Goyaneche and Daitze families. The estate was sold to the Bailly and Lauvarde families in 1630, who invested in the construction of a manor house as well as in the cultivation of the land surrounding the estate. Before his death in 1655, Bailly gave his name to the wines produced. The Château and the 30 hectares of vines now belong to the American banker Robert Wilmers .
Château Haut-Bailly is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc . After fermentation, the wine is aged in oak barrels for 16 months , with a proportion of new barrels depending on the vintage. The 1996 vintage for Bordeaux was extremely good : a mild winter and a warm spring with a month of March bringing significant heat. A hot and dry month of September favored the ripening of the grapes. The harvest was a complete success. Cabernet Sauvignon has produced tannic, structured, very concentrated wines that are suitable for laying down.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc