The openness of the estate.
One creation inspires another
The winery is a masterpiece in itself, and to build it required the combined skills and energy of hundreds of people over 5 years.
Château Haut-Bailly is not only one of Bordeaux’s most prestigious wine estates but also one of the most loved. Every guest is greeted with an unforgettable smile: a delightful combination of excitable energy and reassuring warmth. Smiles are everywhere at Haut-Bailly, seemingly bouncing between people, off the stone walls and trees and resonating out into the vineyard as if blessing the vines with goodness. You are welcomed into a world-class winemaking facility, and at the same time you feel right at home.
The Wilmers family, owners of Haut-Bailly since 1998, support the chateau’s constant ‘sense-driven’ progression with heart and soul. The late ‘Bob’ Wilmers, previously chairman of M&T bank, New York, was renowned for his humanistic practices built on a profound belief in people. In a world of scrutiny and suspicion, ‘The Good Banker’ earned trust and respect.
In a continuation of this philosophy, Haut-Bailly’s new winery embodies their desire to reaffirm the context in which the human aspect of winemaking sits, bringing winemaker and wine lover closer than ever before. For if goodness is what makes up the ‘essence’ of Haut-Bailly, the more it is shared, the stronger it becomes.
“I am a great believer that it is important to do the right thing. Then good things happen…. If you try and force them, it doesn’t work out.”
Bob WilmersBuilding winemaking a better future.
“In life and in wine, it is remarkable how far the application of good sense and science applied by good people can take you.”
Chris WilmersConsistent with its own endeavours to release wines of unwavering quality, vintage after vintage, Haut-Bailly is wilfully responsible for the preservation and development of artistic flair and 'savoir-faire’, through cultural partnerships and collaboration with the University of Bordeaux. Haut-Bailly is eager to improve and simultaneously eager to improve the rest of the world.
Haut-Bailly’s latest project serves to stimulate and celebrate creativity and curiosity. The winery is first and foremost a functional space in which Gabriel Vialard and his team can refine their skills and embark on their yearly creation. By providing better tools, a more comfortable place to work and an open environment in which savoir-faire can be cherished by all, Haut-Bailly believes that a sense of value and pride will encourage even greater creations in the future.
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“I’m not so fascinated by what the building looks like, but by what the building feels like. I want it to be a place where people feel good.”
Daniel RomeoEach bottle of Château Haut-Bailly captures a place, a time, and a spirit all together and keeps these alive until the moment comes for it to be enjoyed. And for all its layers and complexities, once the wine is consumed it exists only in its purest but most discrete form: as a memory. Like the wine, for the winery to leave a lasting impression on the mind, it must have a meaningful interaction with the body - whether the mind and body belong to a connaisseur or someone seeking a new experience.
The architect, Daniel Romeo, uses natural spatial impression techniques to carefully design a sensorial journey through the winery that is similar to the experience of tasting a glass of Haut-Bailly. Understated aesthetics disguise complex flows of people, materials and energy, effortlessly weaving together the functional with the inspirational.
The openness of the estate.
Restraint as we pass above the gallery.
Expansion upwards and outwards, filling the dome.
Gentle compression amongst the vats.
Dilation as we descend into the barrel room.
Precision as we are elevated towards the exit.
Long extension out onto the rooftop to finish.
An ultimate respect for terroir involves going beyond preserving what exists, to guide the land through changing times to make it better for future generations. The chateau's director, Veronique Sanders, believes that any new addition to the Haut-Bailly’s ecosystem must not simply minimise its impact on the overall environment but must instead improve it.
The new winery gives Haut-Bailly more functional space and a more balanced aesthetic. The undulating vineyard that gives the wines an extraordinary patchwork of flavours and aromas extends to cover the entire building, providing continuity between work in the vines and in the winery, which itself is rooted in the same sandy, gravel-studded soils.
As you walk up through the rooftop garden, you are met with ever-changing perspectives as the landscape around us evolves with the seasons. In the same way as a bottle of Château Haut-Bailly ages over the years, nature sets us on a path of trust, patience, discovery and surprise.
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The tasting room is a place of perspective and purpose. It offers a frame of reference where the winery, the vines, and the chateau surround us on each side, with the wine at the centre. As you taste Château Haut-Bailly you are reminded of the importance of the equilibrium between the forces of man, nature and soul. We understand that everything has its place; everything is there for good reason - even you yourself.
Every person that tastes Haut-Bailly becomes part of its terroir.
“Among all the great Bordeaux wines, Haut-Bailly is the one closest to my heart, because of its style, but also because of the many happy encounters I have enjoyed at the property.”
Michel Bettane - Wine criticWe're better together,
visit us.