1998 Château Haut-Bailly
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Dense ruby core, with gentle russet edges and a touch of deposit at the bottom of the glass as this cruises past 26 years old. Crushed roses on the aromatics, bracken and truffles on the palate, with gentle interplay of soft acidities and brambled fruit. Tertiary, woven silk tannins, suspended above the glass, taste this to really understand what elegance in wine feels like. This was the first year with Bob Wilmers as owner, with Veronique Sanders heading up the team and Denis Dubourdieu coming in as consultant. Starting to move into its fully mature phase, but a beautiful wine. 50% new oak.
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
The 1998 Château Haut-Bailly is evolved and fully mature, with ripe currants, tobacco, and chocolaty notes in a medium-bodied, elegant profile. It builds nicely with time in the glass, picking up more freshness and elegance, but this is unquestionably fully mature and a wine to watch going forward.
Though I have tasted the 1998 Haut-Bailly many times, this is the first time in magnum. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry and cassis. The violet element is a little stronger than I discerned on other bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of weight and density, powerful though almost pipped by the Pape Clément in terms of elegance towards the finish, something I would not expect. Still, this is a very fine Pessac-Léognan that, in a larger format, may benefit from another couple of years in bottle.
59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot. Brick-red colour. Earthy, smoky aroma with a hint of leafy, dark fruit in the background. Sweet-fruited attack then large across the palate. Soft, supple and broad (note all that Merlot) but lacks a little punch and drive. (JL)
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.