There are a few things that make Haut-Bailly special. There`s the fact that nearly 15% of the vines are still prephylloxera, that it is one of the few Pessac-Leognan properties not to make white wine, that it has soil that actually contributes to that rare thing in Bordeaux - real sense of terroir. That soil is sandy seabed stuffed with shellfish fossils. As a property it is less than 150 years old and like many Bordeaux estates has seen its fair share of ups, downs and idiosyncratic owners.

Ownership and management now are in about as talented and stable hands as one could wish for, with the Dillon family of Haut-Brion fame holding the deeds and Bordeaux legend Veronique Sanders in firm control of the reins. Together they are a formidable team and produce supple and attractive wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is the majority variety at around 65%, Merlot about 25% and the balance Cabernet Franc. Veronique has been trialling large side by side plots with lutte raisonnee, organic and biodynamic culture. The wines are never over-oaked and the effect is wines that show their origins and the variation that comes naturally from vintage to vintage when you are an Atlantic region. Always delicious and always recommended. (CW 13/09/17)