2003 Haut Bailly
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Tasting notes
The aromatics change at this point, reflecting the ripeness of the 2003 vintage, and you'll find exotic spice, turmeric, saffron, cumin. Welcoming and engaging in its brambled and pureed blackberry and raspberry fruits, silky textured, starting to slide towards tertiary, but still with the effortless finesse of Haut-Bailly, and a fresh lift on the finish. A creaminess to the tannins speaks of the ripeness of the vintage, but it is measured, great quality, and still with life ahead of it. Harvest September 3 to 27. An upscore from the last time I tasted a few years ago - particularly impressive for the 2003 vintage, that was expected to age rapidly. 50% new oak.
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Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2003 Château Haut-Bailly is shockingly fresh and lively, and I certainly wouldn't have guessed the vintage. Sweet red and black fruits, minty herbs, tobacco leaf, and toasty notes all define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with a medium to full-bodied, elegant style. There's a firmer edge to the tannins, but this has a lively, focused, beautifully balanced style that will evolve nicely over the coming decade.
The 2003 Haut-Bailly feels a little fatigued on the nose, missing the fruit intensity of other vintages. Black plum and camphor scents almost reluctantly develop. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannin, leathery and lightly spiced, fully mature with some attenuation on the slightly meaty finish. Drink soon. Tasted at the Haut-Bailly vertical at the château.
56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc. Dark core with brick at the rim. Can sense it was a hot year, the aromatic spectrum is baked and raisined. Sweet-fruited palate but no great complexity. Tannins quite hard and marked. Drying finish. Still some fruit but unlikely to evolve further. (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.