The 2009 Haut-Bailly remains a glorious example from this Pessac-Léognan estate and confirms my recent encounters. Blueberries and cassis scents soon join black cherries, blood orange and iris flower notes on the nose. It skillfully translates the precocity of the growing season, though there is just a touch of alcohol that blurs the edges compared to more recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with a sensual, creamy, velvety texture. It is laden with black fruit and just a hint of liquorice, more primal than the bottle opened at the vertical the previous year. Drinking perfectly now if you like a bit of hedonism, otherwise, leave it four to five more years. Tasted at the château. 94 points

The greatest Haut-Bailly ever made? One can’t speak enough of the job Veronique Sanders has done in 2009, allied with the owner, the American banker Robert Wilmers, who has given her carte blanche authority. Tiny yields have resulted in the most concentrated Haut-Bailly I have ever tasted. Eclipsing even the 2005, the 2009 (a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc) possesses 13.9% natural alcohol. Dense purple to the rim, it exhibits a precise, nuanced nose of mulberries, black cherries, black currants, graphite, and a singular floral component. A wine of profound intensity and full-bodied power, yet stunningly elegant, and never heavy or massive, it builds incrementally on the palate, and the finish lasts over 45 seconds. Remarkably, there is not a hard edge to be found in this beauty. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc were harvested between October 7 and 14, which explains their phenolic maturity. The wine’s extraordinary freshness, elegance, and precision are nearly surreal. This tour de force should age brilliantly for 40+ years. (Tasted two times.) 96-98+* points