Chateau Haut-Bailly Grand Cru Classe 2016

I had to rub my eyes when this great wine materialized. So many great things to share with, I don’t know where to start. This is perfection from Bordeaux, offering exceptional value. The wine comes from the great 2016 vintage, 97pts for the vintage by Parker and 97pts by Wine Spectator. The vintage is famous not only for its quality but also for the longevity of the wines, a great vintage to cellar and therefore extremely collectible. Today’s wine, the Chateau Haut-Bailly 2016 is one of the great wines of the vintage, two 100pt Scores, by Jeb Dunnuck who rated wine for Parker’s Wine Advocate, during the time of Parker and Jane Anson of Decanter. Also received 98pts by Parker’s WA that places this wine among the elite of Bordeaux. The wine is a Grand Cru Classe from the Graves and in 2016 out performed La Mission Haut Brion that sells for $500 plus. The Chateau dates back 1530’s when the Goyanèche and then the Daitze family acquired and unified the best vine growing plots. In modern times, significant is the purchase of Haut-Bailly by wine merchant Daniel Sanders in the 1950’s when the wine achieved Grand Cru Classe status. In 1998 Chateau Haut-Bailly was purchased by American Robert G. Wilmers, chairman and CEO of the M&T Bank based in Buffalo, New York. A lifelong lover of Bordeaux, he got the fourth generation of the Sanders, Jean and Veronique to stay on board to continue the successful path of the Chateau and overseeing a far-reaching investment program to modernize the vineyards, cellars, offices, and chateau itself. Haut-Bailly has maintained 10 acres of century-old vines, planted by the owner of Haut-Bailly at the end of the 19th century. These vines are the heart of Haut-Bailly, their rarity, mystique and superb fruit are to be tasted in each bottle. The great 2016 vintage of this wine delivers everything that defines great Graves: precision, depth, and effortless elegance, a wine that is both structured and seamless. What makes this offer truly compelling is not just the critical acclaim but the value. In a region where 100-point wines routinely command prices well north of $400, securing a double 100-point Bordeaux for under $175 is almost unheard of. Just arrived for the cellars of Bordeaux and true Bordeaux greatness.