Château Haut-Bailly, Grand Cru Classé, Pessac-Léognan

While the estate known as Château Haut-Bailly dates back to 1461, its wine production began in 1530, falling into the hands of the de Leuvarde and Le Bailly families in 1630. It was purchased in 1998 by Robert G Wilmers, a Harvard-educated banker, and his French wife Elisabeth and under their care, the estate has begun producing some of the best wines in its history. The cellars and production procedures were renovated and modernised and this year, the Chateau itself was awarded government recognition of its cultural and vinious heritage.

From some of the oldest vines in the region, the 2016 has been lauded as one of the Chateau’s best, with Neal Martin hailing it as “perhaps the best that I have tasted in almost 20 years of tasting at this estate.