Below are excerpts of an article by Victoria Moore published on The Telegraph website on October 14, 2011, after a "verticale" of Haut-Bailly at Berry Bros & Rudd in London:

“A cult claret so fine you need to dress up to drink it.”

“Véronique Sanders was standing in a tasting tent in Bordeaux the first time I saw her. She was immediately notable, amid dark suits and black, for being dressed in swathes of cream and palest taupe. A brave choice for such an event, but then this is a woman so composed one imagines droplets of red wine would swerve away from her in mid-air rather than splatter her tailoring. “You’ll taste everything in this marquee and one wine will stand out,” a colleague had said to me as we walked in. It did. And, of course, it was Véronique’s wine.

[...] It is a wine with the precision and measured sense of structure and purpose of an architectural drawing. You don’t need to be an expert in wine or on bordeaux to recognise that it has style.

[...] I’ve always promised myself I’d eat my own wine glass if ever I became so elitist as to think a vertical tasting (that is, a tasting where you taste several vintages of one wine) was a suitable subject for this space. So I went along to a small tutored tasting of 11 vintages of Haut-Bailly, from 2000 to 2010, at Berry Brothers just for my own interest.

[...] Véronique was going to be there. This necessitated careful wardrobe attention. After negotiating the steep steps down to Berry’s 16th-century cellar in flip-flops, I changed into heels — and immediately bumped into Oz Clarke. Oz was wearing a tie. I have never seen Oz in a tie. He admitted he had also felt he should make a sartorial effort. I’m sure the wines appreciated it. We certainly appreciated them.

[...] What’s fascinating about a vertical tasting of a wine so consistently itself is that the vintage is written into it. You find different things to like in each year’s expression of the same wine."

Read full article on www.telegraph.co.uk

"Un grand classique donc, mais marqué par ce qu'il y a de mieux dans la modernité. Du Molière mis en scène par Patrice Chéreau, en quelque sorte..."

It is with these poetic words that Pierre Casamayor describes Château Haut-Bailly in his long article published in September's issue of La Revue du Vin de France

He also writes that Château Haut-Bailly's wine is a "miracle of balance, with strength and finesse, density and elegance, structure and charm..."

A commented vertical tasting from 1998 to 2010 concludes this article.

Read the full article in PDF (French only)

In this same issue n°554 of "La Revue du Vin de France", one will find new tasting notes and comments on Haut-Bailly 2009 & 2008 :

"Château Haut-Bailly 2009, 18,5/20 : Il s'est refermé et il faut aller le chercher. La matière est profonde, sans aucune trace de lourdeur, comme parfois dans le millésime. Grande noblesse de bouche pour ce vin parti pour affronter les décennies."

"Château Haut-Bailly 2008, 18/20 : Comme toujours à ce stade, Château Haut-Bailly se révèle encore un peu sévère, mais quelle race et quelle classe ! La bouche est superbement classique et droite. Grande longueur et remarquable qualité de tanins."

Below is an excerpt of an article published in June 2011's issue of "Sommeliers International" :

Luxury for a private table

"Vintage after vintage, the wines of Château Haut-Bailly, Classified Growth of Graves, acquired a solid reputation and reached the spheres of excellence in its appellation. A fame built by the Château's team - Robert G. Wilmers, the owner, and Véronique Sanders at management - through tastings organized worldwide. At the estate the growing number of visit requests from customers, importers as well as connoisseurs, incited Véronique Sanders to organize in the best possible conditions the reception and well-being of the visitors who come for 80% from abroad ! [...]

In 2010 a wider opening to oenotourism is decided with a conference room, the possibility to organize working days or big receptions, visits, sommellerie workshops, and other top of the range themes of which the climax is the Private Table.

This still unique approach in Bordeaux offers the opportunity to have lunch, in the intimate reception rooms of the Château, with seasonal produce accompanied by the wines of the estate and sublimated with creations by Tanguy Laviale, young Chef of the domain, stemming from the greatest Parisian restaurants (Lasserre, Carré des Feuillants...).

This concept of "Private Table at the Château" has been created in the qualitative spirit of Haut-Bailly : exigency, excellence. "We had to propose a top table and a grand Chef able to work out an irreproachable, surprising, innovative, creative cuisine. In fact concoct contemporary dishes with wines of our era for customers from the whole world. The dishes and the wines from Haut-Bailly have to make people dream. Isn't the French gastronomic meal registered on the list of World's immaterial cultural heritage ? Our concept is simple : a great wine requires a top table" Véronique Sanders comments. [...]"

==> Read the full article (PDF)

==> Website of "Sommeliers International"

eRobertParker.com, Robert Parker, 2 May 2011 :

Proprietor Robert Wilmers and general manager/winemaker Veronique Sanders have done an extraordinary job at this estate, which has now become one of the superstars of Bordeaux as recent vintages have admirably demonstrated. An opulently styled effort, the blue/purple-hued 2010 offers a sweet kiss of graphite, charcoal, black cherries, black currants and compelling forest floor-like notes. A seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and oak is found in this full-bodied yet delicate, precise 2010. There is plenty of tannin but it is well-hidden behind the extravagant quantity of fruit. Give it 5-7 years and drink it over the following 35-40 years. Drink 2016-2056 - 95-97

ConnectionstoWine.com, Panos Kakaviatos, 5 April 2011 :

There is potential magic in this wine, somehow managing to combine the brisk and fresh nature of the 2008, sampled again at this tasting, with the body and vigor of the 2009, also there to re-taste. Dare I saythat this is my favorite Haut Bailly since their 2005? Dare I say that it could overshadow Haut Brion? One can detect a subtle tobacco note, or is this wishful Graves thinking? Very bright on the palate, with ripe tannins and tonicity, a smooth texture but with more energy perhaps than the 2009. Give it time in barrel and it may end up being quite magical indeed. A superb effort. 94-96

WineCellarInsider.com, Jeff Leve, 31 March 2011 :
Inky purple in color, with pungent aromas of spice, ash, tobacco and blackberry liqueur, the wine is concentrated, deep, rich and opulent in texture. With palate staining fruit, layers of ripe, velvety tannins and a long, pure, cassis and blackberry finish, this wine offers strong competition for the 2009. 95-97 Pts

JamesSuckling.com, James Suckling, 31 March 2011 :
Wow. What a superb nose of blackberries, flowers and licorice. Full bodied, with a powerful palate of super rich fruit yet bright tannins and loads of blackberries and citrus on the finish. This is really structural with amazing purity of fruit. It is so direct and powerful. Chic brick house of a wine. 62 Cabernet Sauvignon, 36 Merlot and 2 Cabernet Franc. 95-96

Read the full set of comments ( 127k)

Decanter, April 2011 :
Well extracted, elegant and all the character expected from the Haut-Bailly vineyards. Drink 2014-20. 16/20

James Suckling.com, March 2011 :
Blueberry and dark berries with hints of spices and flowers. Full body, with bright and creamy acidity and firm tannins. Lively and fruity. Firm. Second wine of Haut-Bailly. 90-91 pts

Berry Bros & Rudd, Simon Staples, May 2011 :
I was a tad underwhelmed by this little gem I have to say. But that might just have been because I thought I was tasting the Grand Vin itself! Joyous, generous and created for early quaffing I have a strong feeling that it will be terrific value. The best Parde we have ever tried. 15.5/20

Wine Cellar Insider, Jeff Leve, April 2011 :
Chocolate, cassis and tobacco aromas, soft textures and a sweet boysenberry finish are what consumers can look forward to with this easy to like Pessac Leognan wine. The Bordeaux wine is a blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with 20% Cabernet Franc. According to Veronique Sanders, part of the reason for this wines success is that it includes both young Merlot vats that reached 15.5% alcohol. Yet there is no heat in the finish.

Bibendum Wine, April 2011 :
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Quite simple and straightforward but with very bright fruit and grainy, mouth-coating tannins. Expressive and easy with lots to enjoy. 16/20