Chateau Haut-Bailly

Vines are known to be cultivated on the present-day plots of Chateau Haut-Bailly as early as 1461. 

In 1630, the estate was purchased by Parisian bankers Firmin Le Bailly and Nicolas de Leuvarde.  The chateau took its name after one of them, Firmin Le Bailly who later took over the ownership and invested in the development of the winery.

Since 1736, Thomas Barton of Irish descent owned the chateau.  Thanks to his efforts,  the wines of Château Haut-Bailly, then known as French claret, became famous in England and Ireland.

Alcide Bellot des Minières, another important figure in the history of Chateau Haut-Bailly built the castle on the property at the end of the 19th century.  He also pioneered with introduction of science-driven changes to viticulture.  As a result, Chateau Haut-Bailly wines received wide recognition and were able to command prices as high as the First Growths of Bordeaux – Lafite, Latour, Margaux, and Haut-Brion.

Château Haut-Bailly was listed in 1953 as a Crus Classé de Graves.

Daniel Sanders, a Belgian negociant who acquired the estate in distress in 1955 renovated the winery and redesigned the vineyard further improving the reputation of Chateau Haut-Bailly.

In 1998, Robert G. Wilmers, an American banker from Buffalo, NY, purchased the chateau and appointed Véronique Sanders, a daughter of the former owner, to run the winery.