2024 Haut-Bailly II, Pessac-Léognan

DUE OCT/NOV 2027

A soft, light Haut-Bailly from this challenging year, with lots of red cherries, red berries, red bell peppers and fresh herbs. Quite approachable, with a medium body and soft-grained tannins. Well-judged soft extraction makes this likely approachable right after release. Not ambitious, but well balanced, juicy and refined. Brambly and lively. Early harvest? 58% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot and 2% cabernet franc.

93-94 points jamessuckling.com

Savoury, precise and poised, with lovely texture, softly spoken with high floral aromatics, rose petals, peony, fine tannins, drawn out character, long slow build of tension through the palate, unrolling to show white truffle and mint leaf. Tannic grip, estate signature, more softly spoken than in recent vintages, but Haut-Bailly has proved over and over again that it is capable of delivering over the long term, and that it delivers excellence even in challenging vintages - an upscore potential in bottle. Harvest 18 September to 4 October, 30hl/h yield. Gabriel Vialard technical director.

93 points janeanson.com

The 2024 Bordeaux en primeur campaign is unfolding in the shadow of a cool, wet growing season that challenged winemakers across the region. After three warm, early vintages in a row, 2024 has returned to a more classic, slow-developing profile — think freshness, lower alcohols, and finer tannins, especially from top terroirs. It’s not a blockbuster year, but it may well be a sleeper vintage for those who value structure, clarity, and elegance over sheer concentration.

The early tastings point to Cabernet-led wines in the Médoc with good definition and precision. Pauillac and St-Julien performed particularly well, especially on gravelly soils that drained effectively during the wet spring. Margaux is more variable. On the Right Bank, it’s a Merlot vintage only for those with the nerves (and the vineyard work) to wait. Pomerol is solid but less flamboyant than recent years, while St-Émilion was more mixed, with limestone-based sites faring best.

Sauternes is limited but excellent in quality, with botrytis arriving late but clean. Dry whites from Pessac-Léognan and the Graves are particularly crisp and aromatic, likely some of the standout wines of the vintage. Alcohol levels are down across the board, as are pHs, so there’s great freshness — and lower yields in many places due to poor flowering or late mildew pressure.

Overall, 2024 Bordeaux is a return to classicism, with great terroirs and disciplined producers making wines of refinement, not richness.