La Parde de Haut Bailly has been renamed Haut Bailly II as of this vintage. Right from the first nose you can feel how intense this is, and certainly it`s a second wine that gives you a good idea of the potential of the grand vin. It`s poised and juicy, with liquorice, cassis, pencil lead, slate and the tingle of minerality that tells you that we are with Haut-Bailly here. There`s a touch of austerity on the finish, not giving in to the vintage potential for being overly generous. 30% new oak. 30% of production. 92 points

65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘We are proud that this is a second wine’, says Véronique Sanders, who has spent 10 years agonising over a change of name from La Parde, which was the name her grandfather gave the wine. First year of new name and livery. Black core with black-cherry rim. Intense, pure, perfectly ripe cassis on the nose. All fruit. On the palate, great depth of fruit and supple, rounded but compact tannins. Clearly the fruit had sunshine but not too much. Deep, firm, thick velvet, so smooth but dense without heaviness. Very good harmony already. 16.5 points

Formerly known as "La Parde de Haut-Bailly," this second wine from Haut-Bailly will have a name change starting with this vintage. Composed of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon harvested September 17 to October 9, the 2018 Haut-Bailly II is deep purple-black in color and leaps from the glass with exuberant notes of crushed blackberries, black raspberries and plum preserves plus hints of red and black currants, menthol, mocha and candied violets with a touch of cedar chest. Full-bodied, firm and very finely grained, it has bags of freshness and loads of savory sparks, finishing long and mineral tinged. 91-93 points

The 2018 Haut-Bailly II is the newest incarnation of Le Parde de Haut Bailly. The wine is the same, only the name has changed, which the château did to link the wine more closely to the proper ty and also eliminate ambiguity in a name that created confusion in the market. Deep, racy and beautifully layered in the glass, the Haut-Bailly II is a gorgeous wine in its peer group. Crushed flowers, mint, sweet tobacco, cedar and licorice all give the II lovely aromatic complexity to play off the resonant fruit. Medium in body and gracious, the II has a vertical feel that is impossible to miss. The blend is 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. 90-93 points

The newly rechristened second wine is 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. It took much of the remaining 40% of the crop excluded from the grand vin, but there will also be 18,000 bottles of third wine produced in this vintage. It is loaded with dark, fresh, floral and fragrant fruits on the nose, with praline and peony scents wrapped all around. The texture is lovely, elegant but texturally sure, with a sweetly polished gentle substance, ripe with grilled red plum and red cherry, tobacco, toasted nut and praline. The tannins are silky, svelte and correct, with a very elegant draping of rose petal and peony fruits running over the top. A lovely second wine. Well done. 90-92 points