Haut-Bailly is a combination of wine-making techniques and practices, in some cases ancestral, and constantly enriched by technological developments. From generation to generation, the estate’s teams work to make the Grand Vin a sought-after wine, vintage after vintage.

So what is done at Haut-Bailly, when, why and how, and how does it contribute to the level of precision we seek?

At Haut-Bailly, this quest is expressed as “le culte de la précision”, it should be understood in the etymological sense of homage and veneration, for what is experienced by all as pivotal in terms of the image and reputation of the estate’s wine-making signature.

In the same way, the word ‘precision’ is taken to mean a style that is perceived as fair, clean and precise. In the 17th century, scientists and philosophers saw the notion of precision as the quality of what is determined with rigorous accuracy in space and time, or of what is represented in the mind with clarity. Precision is, in fact, one of the pillars of the semantic portrait of Haut-Bailly’s 2023 vintage, as drawn up on the basis of comments made by leading French and international names following the Primeurs tasting last April.

Achieving this degree of precision creates inestimable value, but it comes at a cost, both in terms of investment in equipment and time spent by teams.

The key to success? Neither absolute certainty, nor preconceived ideas: none of these things, simply an innate sense of temperance, a high level of standards and a quest for perfection that aims to express the terroir and make it sublime.

There is nothing better than the terms of the profession to describe in a faithful and precise way the variety of gestures and intense viticultural work that takes place throughout the year. The rich vocabulary of the estate’s winegrowers is therefore deliberately highlighted below.

It is in fact a precious element of the remarkable cultural and civilisational heritage that is haute viticulture as embodied by Château Haut-Bailly: a heritage that is both tangible, with a very old terroir, vines that are sometimes more than a hundred years old, an admirable hilltop and landscape, historic and extraordinarily modern buildings, and intangible, embodied by the many values, traditions and skills handed down from generation to generation and constantly updated.

All life starts in the soil, which must be worked relentlessly to encourage the vines to put down deep roots, which are synonymous with longevity, resilience and quality.
For the team in charge, under the guidance of Véronique Sanders and Gabriel Vialard, working the soil is first and foremost the result of a careful, meticulous approach that respects the terroir, which is essential to fully expressing the uniqueness of the vineyard. Decisions are taken collectively, with a great deal of exchange and sharing of information based on observation of the vines and their behaviour.

A number of operations aim to prepare and maintain the soil in the best possible way, such as decompacting (to aerate the soil and create galleries for better drainage), ploughing, controlling weeds, carefully monitoring microfauna and flora, etc.

Each operation is planned according to the nature of the mechanised work to come: to improve the bearing capacity of the soil, or to ensure access to the vines (shredding vine shoots, pruning and treatments). Mounded or flat ground is essential for certain tasks: heavy rainfall on freshly ploughed ground makes it impassable for several days. In the spring, during the treatment period, it is sometimes preferable to manage natural grass cover in order to improve drainage (or drying time) and carrying capacity for tractors.

In certain areas, green nutrients are sown to stimulate biological activity in the soil, or natural grass cover is preferred, for reasons of run-off or bearing capacity. Maintenance is carried out by mowing, or rolling and pinching with rolofaca (a roller is used to lay down plant cover on the ground, pinching it to stop the sap rising).

The vines also need to be encouraged to grow deeper into the soil to reduce their susceptibility to drought or late summer rain. To this end, ploughing is carried out in accordance with the various methods of cultivation: shoeing to form mounds at the foot of the vines, decavaillonnage or tilling of the soil between the vines, and clawing to improve the circulation of water and air in the soil. This ploughing is carried out after the harvest, then at the end of winter, in spring and summer to stimulate microbial life, control weeds and counteract shallow rooting.

To encourage better microbial activity, subsoiling to improve natural drainage is sometimes carried out in the autumn, after the harvest, on certain plots.

By ‘reading’ indicator plants (rushes, goosefoot, purslane, horsetail, thistle, dock), we can keep an eye out for natural imbalances, such as excess water, excess organic matter, soil compaction, hydric stress, soil acidification, etc.

The degree of humidity is also carefully controlled and adapted: ridging will allow water to run off the surface during the winter. Scratching will help it to infiltrate, or to bring up the humidity in dry weather, in accordance with the old saying that ‘ one hoeing is worth two waterings’.

These highly specialised practices help to optimise growing conditions for the vines, by promoting the structure, porosity, water retention, aeration and general life of the soil: microfauna, macrofauna, bacteria and fungi. By intervening in a precise and appropriate way, we promote root access to essential nutrients, while preserving biodiversity. As mentioned above, the methods used are both traditional and innovative. Soil cultivation is generally carried out using light mechanical tools (actisols, discs, claws, Canadian hoes, blades, rotary harrows, ridgers) adapted to the characteristics of each plot. These tools are mounted on tractors or on the Bakus electric robot, which is a real companion for winegrowers, relieving them of repetitive soil-working tasks. This does not rule out manual intervention with a pickaxe, or with a clump-puller, when necessary to complete the work. Each operation is carried out with extreme rigour, taking into account the specific soil characteristics of the terroir. By adopting a plot-by-plot approach, the team is constantly refining its understanding of the soil, enabling it to make precise, relevant decisions. The care taken in working the soil is ultimately reflected in the quality of the wines, whose precision faithfully reflects the profound identity of the estate.

Achieving this ideal ripeness is based on an intimate understanding of the vines and their environment: it’s an art, as much as a high-precision craft where every gesture counts, on every vine. It involves meticulous observation and precise know-how, passed down from generation to generation, with the approach constantly adapted to the specific needs of each plot.

In the spring, the winegrowers carry out the pruning, designed to rid the vines of unnecessary shoots. This is followed by disbudding, a delicate operation which involves removing superfluous buds to concentrate the plant’s resources on the main bunches.

Lifting allows the canopy to be thinned out, thus ensuring optimum exposure of the bunches to the sun and reducing the risk of disease.

Shoot thinning allows the bunches to be aired out, eliminates the heart interstices which compete with the bunches, and maintains a protective cap (leaf above each bunch).

Careful monitoring of the vigour of the vines, which must be kept under control to produce quality grapes, is essential: measuring this vigour requires a great deal of precision in observation, and the most advanced technologies are used for this, including aerial imagery NDVI: this is the index used to determine the health of vegetation by measuring the chlorophyll content of plants using sensors on board satellites or drones.

If necessary, green harvesting (thinning out to reduce the quantity of grapes) is carried out to adjust the load of grapes on each vine, thus encouraging even ripening.

As the harvest approaches, several times a week, the teams monitor the ripening of the grapes, analysing not only sugar and acidity levels, but also the aromas and texture of the berries, and the content and extractability of phenolic compounds. This attention to detail enables us to define the ideal moment to harvest, when each parcel has reached its optimum expression.

The harvest is carried out entirely by hand, enabling a highly selective initial sorting, and in crates to preserve the integrity of the berries

We have to think of the work done on each vine as a piece of clockwork: each cog, each mechanism has to be perfectly adjusted so that the whole works with flawless precision. From winter pruning to harvesting, each operation is guided by the imperative of perfection, because only this relentless quest can capture the very essence of the terroir in the wines. The sum of these efforts is considerable: during pruning sequences, each winegrower gives more than 5,000 strokes of the pruning shears every day, no less.

Finally, it’s worth repeating the crucial, essential, decisive importance of the human factor: human management, recruitment, training and motivating teams are at the heart of the management team’s priorities, as are risk prevention and the protection of winegrowers in all areas.

Inaugurated in 2020, the ultra-modern winery is equipped with the most advanced technologies, enabling us to refine every stage of the winemaking process to unprecedented levels of precision.

After a series of meticulous sortings, each parcel is vinified separately in vats fitted with double isothermal walls. The alcoholic fermentation phase – whose temperature is computer-controlled – then the malolactic fermentation phase, in stainless steel vats and barrels, culminates in the blending sequence, a key moment characterised, once again, by the highest degree of precision.

From fermentation to ageing, every decision taken during the winemaking process aims to preserve the natural harmony of the wine and the purest expression of the fruit.
From the soil to the vines to the cellar, through many sequences, a great deal of resources and a huge amount of work by the teams in charge, Haut-Bailly’s cult of precision is aimed at just one thing, sacred above all else: protecting the unique style of its wine.