The Pessac-Leognan (P-L) Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC) is relatively new but is now approaching 40 years of age. Its long history dates back to the Romans but this smaller Northern Graves region didn’t have a separate AOC until 1987, thanks to the hard work of Andre Lurton and others. This AOC features distinctive gravelly soils with lots of protective trees, and it now includes over 70 properties. This unique P-L region is located within the City of Bordeaux itself. It features high land values and consistently warmer temperatures, producing top quality whites (roughly 20%) often from clay/limestone soils, but primarily red wines (80%). For many years the two best wines from this region have been Chateau Haut-Brion (the only chateau outside the Medoc in the 1855 Classification – as a First Growth) and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion. However, many chateaux have improved their quality by leaps and bounds led by Chateau Haut-Bailly among others. For me the best P-L reds feature stony, earthy, gravelly minerals with balance plus the tobacco signature that develops with tertiary age. As loyal followers of this Blog know well your scribe has a soft spot for this outstanding 16th-century property. Elizabeth and the late Robert Wilmers (1934-2017) purchased the property in 1998, leading to major investment and outstanding management by Veronique Sanders-Van Beek. Certainly, IMHO, the wines have gained balance and precision; they better show the complex terroirs of this Estate. As Veronique puts it so well: “Chateau Haut-Bailly now illustrates the evolution of its unique wine style, marrying structure and suppleness, classicism and elegance”. Postings with more details are linked here including those from July 6, 2013 (15 vintages 2012-1998) ; September 28, 2015 (last VS-VB visit to Vancouver); and October 14, 2024 (2019 Bordeaux at 15). However your scribe has been a devoted fan of Haut-Bailly since the early seventies, recalling a memorable vertical tasting of 12 vintages (1994 back to 1949) conducted by Jean Sanders (Veronique’s grandfather) at the London Wine Trade Fair on May 21, 1997. Jean made many references to Daniel Sanders (Veronique’s great grandfather) while decanting both the 1966 (the first bottle was slightly corked, so he used a backup bottle that showed the outstanding trademark “tobacco” held together by the key 1966 “acidity”) and the 1949 (a ripe vintage that allows the usual Haut-Bailly elegance to come together marvellously fresh with clean finesse, herbs, & tobacco).

We revisited this wonderful Chateau Haut-Bailly with a vertical tasting of nine wines in two flights, ranging from 2010 back to 1970. We changed our normal procedure from youngest to oldest, which this time worked brilliantly for the more delicate older wines before the bigger-bodied, more intense newer ones. The Vancouver Group of Eight held the dinner-tasting for Event #141 at Five Sails Restaurant on April 28, 2026. We started with 2012 Pol Roger Rosé, which uses a similar blend of 60 % Pinot Noir & 40% Chardonnay as the usual Vintage white blend but with the addition of 15% red wine. The deep (33 metres) cold cellars of POL ROGER always seem to provide helpful backbone structure for their bubbles and the red currants here in this forwardly deep bronze-colored Rose. We finished with a special low-production, 1988 vintage Sauternes from Chateau RAYMOND-LAFON, which David Kester bought at K&L in San Francisco in March 1996 for $39. The property history dates back a hundred years to Louis Pontellier (the grandfather of the late Paul Pontallier winemaker of Chateau Margaux). It remained with him for 30 years before being sold in 1952 to the Bourdier family and again in the early 1970s to Pierre Meslier (who also managed the neighboring Chateau d’Yquem). I tasted with Pierre Meslier several times in the seventies at d’Yquem and he prized using a similar formula at R-L for low yields (around 8hl/ha) and blend (80%Semillon & 20% Sauvignon Blanc). Typical intense caramelized apricots with spiced honey and orange peel. Delicious with the honey cake caramel ice cream dessert.

The main event was memorable and here are a few comments:

1970 CHATEAU HAUT BAILLY: Surprisingly this 55 year old bottle had the highest fill of all the wines. See the photo. Purchased by your scribe upon release and well stored for over 50 years. Even Five Sails Sommelier Antoine Santini, commented to me that it was “a remarkable, high fill”. Veronique sent me a note stating, “1970 is a beautiful, classic, vintage and very Bordeaux in spirit”. Mature but still bright red tones with a paling rim. It opens with a delightful bouquet displaying red fruits, undergrowth forest floor (sous bois), leather, minerals, and trademark tobacco. Taste is impressively cohesive, featuring sensual fruit rather than just dried-out notes. Ian Mottershead liked the delicacy and elegance. It shows the estate’s ability to age, similar to the ’49, which I tasted in 1997 at 48 years old. Excellence. The surprise of this tasting too!

1983 CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY: Veronique says “1983 was particularly successful in Margaux and the Graves (Pessac-Leognan did not yet exist) and in some cases surpasses 1982”. Not singing but some dried plummy fruit with spice plus green tea and cocoa. This shows better than the bottle from the 1997 vertical, which was browning in colour with notes of prune and dried tobacco leaf. That bottle needed more fruit depth and was drying out. 1983 was best in the earlier days. Neither of these 1983s has the savoury cherry interest complexity of the 1983 Domaine de Chevalier (which is better than the 1982). Drink up.

1996 CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY: Veronique advised that “1996 is a very Cabernet driven vintage, with structure, built for long aging”. The blend here is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc. Dark but rather briary earthy black tea with bay leaf and peppercorns. Several of us found it a bit hard edged and metallic on the palate. Lacks charm. Slightly disappoints. It’s not as outstanding as some of the 1996 Saint-Julien and Pauillac wines that feature more late-ripening Cabernet.

1998 CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY: This 59% Cabernet Sauvignon & 41% Merlot has been called “Merlots blessed by the gods”. They had a dry July and August before the rains came and then harvest started on September 23 using a sorting table for the first time. Successful on the Right Bank. The “Vielles Vignes” are high quality. Toward the rim, it is darker than in 1996, exhibiting a particularly full, smooth, and softer texture. Tribute to “An American-style first vintage for the Wilmers”. Starting on a lovely drinking plateau now.

2000 CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY: Chateau Haut-Bailly calls this consistently enjoyable Bordeaux vintage “Legendary.” Longer harvest with Merlots starting September 13 and Cabernet from October 3-11. Shows the riper fruit from thicker skins in a good way. Admire the intense, harmonious succulent texture all in balance. You can see improvement starting to be made over their wines produced from the nineties. The elegance is present, and the terroir shows better finesse. This pairs best with the foie gras starter. Enjoy.

2005 CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY: Second flight starts on a high note with the also “Legendary” 2005, composed of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Dark, with low yields of just over 40 hl/ha and higher natural alcohol levels showing 13% ABV. Respected consultant Emile Peynaud stated “Exceptional vintages have power, freshness, balance, and elegance.” You have all four of those here with a creamy classic texture. Lovely tertiary development just starting at 20+ years. No rush. Superb future. Group likes it. Added dimensions to this vintage paired with the well prepared lamb course, which included mushrooms. Veronique recommended lamb (gigot d’agneau) with mushrooms as resonating nicely with the structure, finesse, and complexity of her wines as they age.

2008 CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY: “Purity,” this 70% Cabernet Sauvignon & 30% Merlot, faces tough competition against the superstar vintages of 2005, 2009, and 2010. However, this longest and latest harvest from September 25 to October 23 holds its own very well. Like that the largest amount of the best Cabernet Sauvignon, with less Merlot and no Cabernet Franc, went into the Grand Vin. Note that the second wine La Parde was 41% CS, 51% Merlot, and 8% CF. Dark, fresh, with less acidity than expected and not sharp. Softening balance and developing nicely. Less concentrated depth than in 2009 & 2010 but well done indeed at 13% ABV. A less heralded beauty.

2009 CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY: Highly acclaimed on release as a powerful very ripe vintage, this is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon 37% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc harvested from September 15 to October 14, described as “a truly great vintage.” Now named “Mythic,” it was well produced by Winemaker Gabriel Vialard and Consultant Denis Dubourdieu (died 2016) using 60% new oak and received several perfect 100 scores. Very dark, but with a slight paling edge, yet so voluptuous and creamy. It’s interesting to compare it with other vintages of Haut-Bailly here, whereas in October 2024 it was compared to other 2009s. Here it seems riper compared to the other vintages but among other 2009s it seemed more balanced, elegant, and refined with graphite notes. That’s because many 2009s are even bigger, riper, and more alcoholic than this Haut Bailly 2009 at 13.5% ABV. Very special.

2010 CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY: What a treat to try the 2010 again side by side with the 2009. The 2010 vintage also received a perfect 100 score from Jane Anson in 2023. She has just published her 2025 Bordeaux reviews; Haut-Bailly received an initial score in barrel of 98-100 (the same as Chateau Margaux & Chateau Mouton Rothschild) which is impressive. The 2010 blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvested between September 22 and October 14. Dubbed initially as “a double triumph,” it has evolved as “Excellence” and “Best Ever”. This youngest wine has the darkest deepest look, right to the rim. A concentrated monster with higher phenolics than 2009 due to smaller grapes. It is truly exceptional, with creamy cassis concentration and perfect classic styling from cooler fruit even though the alcohol is higher at 14% ABV. Wow. What a second flight of winners! 2010 is my fav. A property to follow and its recommended wines to buy.

A memorable educational vertical tasting of Chateau Haut-Bailly, for sure.

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Question: What is the special soil in Friuli that produces those remarkable white wines?

Answer: Very old soils named Flysch (or locally as Ponca) and featuring layers of clay and sandstone, work marvellously to produce structured wines in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. Top quality white wines are produced there especially from grapes grown in the Collio hills. Old special soils are important for producing top quality wines; compare the famous soils of the better known Chablis. Check out some of these elegant wines ranging from lively Ribolla Gialla to richer Friulano.

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Wines from long-established, top-quality Burgundy classified vineyards have become unbelievably expensive. We all have been looking for alternatives from that region. Hautes-Cotes have benefited from regional higher altitude vineyards whose Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are ripening better due to climate change. Wines from Maranges village, at the southern tip of the Cote de Beaune, are evolving with often more rustic but solid red fruit. Resurgence of the Aligoté grape’s inherent good acidity now with increased ripeness is becoming more popular.

The whole Cote Chalonnaise is being discovered. Demand for the Mâconnais region has increased, especially the whites from Pouilly-Fuisse & Saint-Veran. However, several new Chardonnays grown near the hot white Burgundy regions of Meursault, Puligny, and Chassagne are worth exploring. Your scribe continues to enjoy more costly Saint- Aubin and has been impressed by recent vintages of Auxey-Duresses including Domaine Jean & Gilles Lafouge. Seek them out. Quite intriguing to me are the BOURGOGNE COTE-D’OR wines being produced by DOMAINE ROUGEOT PERE et FILS in Meursault. Last week, I tasted 3 different ones all 2022 vintage wines during home dinners; they were quite interesting. Especially the “sans sulfite ajoute” notification on the back label, meaning “no added sulphur”. This suggests the winemaker added no SO2 (sulphur dioxide), which usually aids in antimicrobial prevention and preservation of the bottled wine. Also, they are more vulnerable because of the long shipment from France to western Canada for these wines and possible temperature changes. However, this idea must excite wine consumers who are sensitive (and even allergic) to sulfites.

Here are some brief impressions of these three wines all priced in the $70 Canadian range:

2022 CLOS DES SIX OUVREES: 50-year-old vines planted right at the Meursault village with the smallest production. April 2024 bottling of 3,265 bottles. This was the lightest and the most delicate, but it has some structure. Admired the lovely, pure freshness, which was typically citrusy (d’agrumes). Chardonnay definition and quality is surprisingly high. No rush. Delicious dish of Chinook salmon, eggplant, cabbage, and sauteed red onions paired well.

2022 LA MONATINE: 55-year-old vines in a heavier mix of clay-limestone immediately north of Sous La Velle – across from Chateau de Meurault. April 2024 bottling: 3,933 bottles (and 204 Magnums). Early-picked, smaller berries fermented in neutral barrels. It looks quite mature, with a deepening yellow colour. A much more generous Chardonnay with deep, full, smooth textures. Drinking quite openly now. Perhaps this bottle would have benefited from added freshness if some sulfite was added. Will try another one. It stood up nicely to the fresh halibut filets with citrus.

2022 LES GRANDES GOUTTES: 40-year-old vines, the last to be harvested, grow directly south below Meursault Les Charmes bordering Puligny. March 2024 bottling: 5,967 bottles (200 Magnums & 25 Jeroboams). This one has the best body depth with balanced fresh acidity. Quite vibrant and precise. Meursault-like. Developing nicely on a perfect early plateau of enjoyment. Singing matched with amazing fresh wild Spring salmon filets.

These experimental beauties offer good value and are worth investigating, courtesy of Pierre-Henri Rougeot. Look for them to try. A web search yielded some more detailed comments on my wines, four of these are linked here: Burgundy Report: Rougeot Pere et Fils; Uncharted Wines; Juice Imports Domaine Rougeot; Winehog (Steen Ohman)

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Question: What Barossa wines prominently display cassis flavours?

Answer: Your scribe usually thinks of cassis as a prominent note in the early fruit aromas and tertiary bouquet of especially Pauillac & St. Julien wines from Bordeaux. It resembles the French sweet liqueur “crème de cassis,” made from blackcurrants, including some tart acidic flavour notes for overall balance. Cassis can also be found in other wine regions, including the Barossa in Australia. It shows most prominently in some of their Cabernet Sauvignon wines but also in those blended with some Shiraz. Sometimes you find a riper cassis fruit with some minty chocolate. Similarly, Shiraz and GSM blends can show cassis, but for me it seems styled differently, leaning more towards sweeter blackcurrant jam in character. Check out some of the Torbreck wines – like The Laird Shiraz – to see if you enjoy that rendition of cassis. A lot depends on how you define cassis in your own tasting experience. Suggest you taste more different Barossa wines to find your cassis nirvana.

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Your scribe has been fortunate to study the 2015 vintage of red Bordeaux at two horizontal tastings within a month. The first of nine wines for the March 17 IWFS Vancouver event is linked here, with more details. A second selection featured six higher classification wines with three each from the Right Bank and the Left Bank. La Commanderie de Bordeaux Vancouver organized the event on April 17 at The Vancouver Club, led by Le Maitre Fred Withers and Cellarmaster Alvin Nirenberg. The first session, featuring more affordable wines gave an impression of freshness with variability though the star was a Margaux Fourth Growth Chateau Marquis De Terme. Again, the Margaux appellation showed regional favour in 2015 with an excellent Chateau Kirwan. Look for additional Margaux wines from the 2015 vintage!

This black tie affair started with 2013 Joseph Perrier La Côte à Bras Brut Nature Vintage Champagne from a six generation House in Chalons-en-Champagne, founded in 1825. Since 2007 they have focused on this single, south-facing vineyard in Cumières, which has clay-limestone soil: 100% Pinot Noir planted in 1982 in Parcel A H 83. The 2013 vintage, which arrived mainly in October, favoured the Chardonnay grape but this production of 7568 bottles of Pinot Noir shows well. With zero dosage and long aging on the lees, it displays peachy salty fruit plus citrus & orange acidity—all interesting combinations. The dessert wine was 2008 Chateau Coutet (derived from the Gascon word for “knife”) from Barsac, 14% ABV, with freshness & subtle minerality paired appropriately with the pear tart.

The main 2015 feature was in two flights with my brief comments:

2015 CHATEAU CANON-LA-GAFFELIERE SAINT-EMILION Premier Grand Cru Classe from Comtes von Neipperg, composed of organically farmed 55% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 17 months in 55% new oak at 14% ABV. It was highly applauded upon release, ranking #2 on Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year Top 100 List. Young dark look with prominent, open Cabernet aromas, featuring accessible, round, plush plums in a modern style. Attractive and deliciously drinkable.

2015 CHATEAU CANON SAINT-EMILION Owned by Chanel since 1996, this Premier Grand Cru Classé is composed of 72% Merlot & 28% Cabernet Franc aged 18 months in 70% new oak at 15% ABV. Nicolas Auderbert and his team grow this on the clay-limestone plateau of St. Emilion in a more classic balanced style. This impressive, ripe velvety Merlot shows rich, round, complex cherry notes and spiciness, with full structure provided by the Cabernet Franc. It shows elegance and finishing length. Development will continue. Group favourite.

2015 CHATEAU LE GAY POMEROL Vignobles Pere-Verge picked this highest 90% Merlot & 10% Cabernet Franc from Pomerol between September 27 and October 8; it spent 18 months in 100% new oak at 14.5% ABV. Lovely, but it seems less fragrant, less densely opulent, and less charming than expected for a top Pomerol in this vintage. More oaky herbaceous notes for me. Enjoy it now. Not in the league of outstanding quality from an exceptional 2015 Pomerol group that includes Vieux Chateau Certan, La Conseillante & L’Evangile.

2015 CHATEAU SMITH HAUT LAFITTE PESSAC-LEOGNAN Double celebration vintage for the 650th anniversary of SHL & the 25th Vendange of the Cathiards. Sadly Daniel Cathiard passed away this past January but the fantastic Florence brilliantly carries on, along with their longtime winemaker, Fabien Teitgen. This vintage is a great tribute to the whole team and their outstanding dedicated development success of this amazing Estate. They used 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot with 65% new oak for this 14.5% ABV beauty. Shows some typical sous bois but with many more exotic cherry, plum, mocha, and graphite notes, all so creamy lush. Congrats!

2015 CHATEAU LYNCH BAGES PAUILLAC Famille J-M Cazes used 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the remaining 6% for Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot in 75% new oak at 13.5% ABV. This big powerful Pauillac has acidity and tannins well structured for further aging. Nick Wright found it “a bit tighter.” St. Estephe had Fall weather issues in 2015 and Pauillac & St. Julien were more variable but this is a good one. Your scribe likes the rich minty classic character of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Patience.

2015 CHATEAU KIRWAN MARGAUX Schroder & Schyler, managed by Jean Henri Schyler until his death in 2016, is now run by his three children: Yann, Sophie, and Nathalie. Here: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc & 5% Petit Verdot, aged for 18 months in 50% new oak at 13.5% ABV – for the first time in the new cellars. Picking commenced on September 18 with yields just over 50 hl/ha with Eric Boissenet as Consultant. This Kirwan improves every time I try it, confirming the top quality seen in 2015 due to favourable weather conditions for the Margaux AC – just like in 1983. Admire the flowers, spice, and classy elegance all in harmony. Balanced. Well done indeed. It is not as big or silky a wine as the opulent 2015 Marquis de Terme. Try some interesting 2015 red Bordeaux.

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