Chateau Haut-Bailly 2010

Château Haut-Bailly

The jewel of Pessac-Léognan

The Haut-Bailly vineyard's story begins during the 1530's, in Bordeaux. That's when two merchant families from the Basque Country (the Daitzes and the Goyanèches) decide to buy many acres of land in the Léognan commune. There, they'd develop the vineyard for more than a hundred years. In 1630, a banker from Paris (Firmin Le Bailly) buys the Pessac-Léognan estate, giving it its current name. Later on, they sell it to Christophe de La Faurie (Baron of Maubadon), who keeps the original moniker. In 1736, five years before his death, Christophe's son, Laurent, entrusts the estate to Thomas Barton.

Mr. Barton, an Irish merchant, uses his robust network to develop the Château Haut-Bailly brand, making the estate the talk of the town in the UK and Ireland. As for the castle itself, construction starts in 1872, courtesy of Alcide Bellot des Minières, also known as the "King of Wines". After his death in 1906, the estate once again changes hand and faces many crisis (phylloxera, Great Depression, risk of bankruptcy...)

In 1955, a Belgian merchant, Daniel Sanders, takes ownership of the domain. Thanks to him and his son, Jean, it regains its spot on the international scene. Today, the estate is the property of the Wilmers family, since Robert G. Wilmers (former manager of the M&T Bank) bought it in 1998. He tasked Véronique Sanders with overseeing the Château. She now continues Robert's work: modernizing the estate, without betraying its history and values.