Château Haut-Bailly, Le Parde de Haut-Bailly, Graves, 2015

This second wine (30% of total yield) is 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc – the Cabernet Sauvignon was so good more was given to Haut-Bailly. Beautiful taut tannins. 13.6%abv.

This wine needs some time in the glass to fully open, but after a few moments the depth of the fruit starts to unfurl. It's Merlot dominant, but the Merlots at Haut Bailly in the big years have the power of Cabernet, and they are old vines planted at a density of 10,000 per hectare, which helps to slow down the ripening process. It has a beautifully juicy finish.