Haut-Bailly – the Bob Wilmers years 1998–2017

Ch Haut Bailly in Léognan, Bordeaux

James Lawther MW, who did such a splendid job tasting 2019 bordeaux primeurs for us, presents a profile, with vertical tasting, of a much-loved Bordeaux property.

When American banker Robert G Wilmers acquired Château Haut-Bailly in 1998 it was a marriage made in heaven. The 30-ha (74-acre) Pessac-Léognan property has a reputation for reserve and discretion, classicism prevailing over anything flashy, and in this respect, man and cru found unity of character. The estate also has a history of charismatic owners and Bob Wilmers slipped seamlessly into the mould.

The sale was forced by all-too-familiar division among the family shareholders...