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One of our regular favourites in the Graves. It is consistently well made. Concentratedand impenetrable it may be at present, it will grow into a really exciting, stylish wine.
One of our regular favourites in the Graves. It is consistently well made. Concentratedand impenetrable it may be at present, it will grow into a really exciting, stylish wine.
It has been a little while since I last tasted the 2000 Haut Bailly. Now at 17 years of age it does not quite deliver the authority and the pedigree of the 2005 or 2010, moving into secondary notes with cedar wood, smoke and a touch of undergrowth, though it has lost a little cohesion. The palate is medium-bodied with a very well balanced opening. Hints of clove and black pepper infuse the black fruit, and it exerts a gentle grip in the mouth with quite a persistent finish. You can broach this now although it should continue to drink well for another 15-20 years. Tasted March 2017.
A classic effort, the 2000 Haut-Bailly exhibits notes of lead pencil shavings, raspberries, black currants, and loamy soil. Subtle hints of earth and smoke are also present in this medium-bodied, stylish, well-balanced, pure wine that emphasizes restraint and graciousness over power and blockbuster intensity. It has entered its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for another fifteen years.
Patience will be rewarded with this style of Bordeaux that typifies restraint and subtlety. The deep ruby-colored 2000 is an impressive youthful Haut-Bailly. It offers endearing notes of black cherries, raspberries, and currants mixed with tobacco smoke, soil overtones, and subtle wood. The acidity is low, the tannin is present, and the overall quality is pure and well-balanced. This is a classic example of finesse and elegance. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.
Excellent colour. Full and ripe on the nose yet with a certain delicacy too. Well done. A few risks taken here and a slightly dry finish but overall very pleasing. Drink 2006-2016
Good colour. Plenty of richness and depth on the nose. Medium-full weight. Very ripetannins. Very good grip. Lots of concentration here. Balanced, original and complex. Really quite profound. Potentially lush. Very long. Very good indeed. From 2008.
Stretching from the rather unglamorous southern suburbs of Bordeaux, for 50 km along the left bank of the river Garonne, lies Graves. Named for its gravelly soil, a relic of Ice Age glaciers, this is the birthplace of claret, despatched from the Middle Ages onwards from the nearby quayside to England in vast quantities. It can feel as though Bordeaux is just about red wines, but some sensational white wines are produced in this area from a blend of sauvignon blanc, Semillon and, occasionally, muscadelle grapes, often fermented and aged in barrel. In particular, Domaine de Chevalier is renowned for its superbly complex whites, which continue to develop in bottle over decades. A premium appellation, Pessac-Leognan, was created in 1987 for the most prestigious terroirs within Graves. These are soils with exceptional drainage, made up of gravel terraces built up in layers over many millennia, and consequently thrive in mediocre vintages but are less likely to perform well in hotter years. These wines were appraised and graded in their own classification system in 1953 and updated in 1959, but, like the 1855 classification system, this should be regarded with caution and the wines must absolutely be assessed on their own current merits.
