1986 Haut Bailly
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 1986 Haut-Bailly has an attractive and fully mature bouquet, but still healthy, well defined and quite generous with small red cherries, mulberry and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied, structured yet fresh with good grip in the mouth. There is tangible salinity, especially on the finish that you could argue cuts away short. This might be because there was no Merlot in the blend and was in fact, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It's not bad at all, although it does not approach the best vintages from the château. Served blind at the property.
Critic scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Tasted at the château, the 1986 Haut Bailly is a vintage that I have not tasted for five years. It has an attractive nose that is clearly fully mature, but still healthy, well defined and quite generous with small red cherries, mulberry and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied, structured yet fresh with good grip in the mouth. There is tangible salinity, especially on the finish that you could argue cuts away short. This might be because there was no Merlot in the blend and was in fact, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It's not bad at all, although it does not approach the best vintages from the château. Tasted July 2016.
Very dark ruby. All Cabernet Sauvignon. Very zesty. The Brie flatters this wine and makes it taste fuller. Very long and quite high VA. (JR)
Remarkably elegant and graceful with firm tannic structure and currant, cassis, cedar and earth flavors that are complex and intriguing. Built for the long run, but almost drinkable now. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 1989.
About the producer
Quality at this château, now one of Pessac-Léognan’s leading wine estates, has risen exponentially under the reign of Véronique Sanders, with the property known for crafting wines of elegance and poise.