Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The Château Haut-Bailly 2014 is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot picked between 24 September and 15 October. Véronique Sanders explained that it represents a much higher percentage of Cabernet because of its quality, the Merlot undergoing some saignée due to the size of berries. Matured in 50% new oak and including 8% vin de presse, it has a lovely bouquet with superb delineation, touches of undergrowth and tobacco infusing the pure black fruit, stirrings of black tea emerging with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with edgy, crisp tannin on the entry and good acidity (ph 3.7), perhaps more than say, the 2012. There is a fine sense of energy here and at dovetails into a lightly spiced, slightly saline finish. This is a slightly less ostentatious than recent vintages, a little more restrained but the terroir really shows through. Excellent. Expect this to land at the top of my banded score.

James Suckling

A very well-made, modern wine with ripe cherry and cassis notes but rather discrete oak. The bright fruit and lively acidity balance the moderately dry tannins very well, and the finish is long and quite complex. Compacted. Needs time to open. Beautiful.

Jeannie Cho Lee

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

VertdeVin

(66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot). The nose is complex. It reveals notes of fresh fruit (blackcurrant, plum), slight notes of fleshy strawberry, sour cherry, blueberry as well as small notes of flint and a touch of pepper. The palate is fruity, precise, elegant, racy, fat and offers a beautiful ample matter, chewy and a nice tension. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of fresh fruit, cassis, blackberry and slight notes of plum associated with slight notes of red fruit, hot stones as well as small notes of sweet spices, woody notes, toasted notes and a very slight hint of mocha. Tannins are elegant, fine, racy, well integrated and a bit grainy. Good length and persistence.

Wine Enthusiast