1994 Château Haut-Bailly
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Tasting notes
The 1994 Haut-Bailly is one of the very few vintages that I have never tasted. Poured from the last half-bottle at the château by Véronique Sanders, I am pleasantly surprised. It is savoury on the nose and fully mature with truffle and iron piping, yet fresh and nicely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, rustic with degraded red fruit. It's slightly meaty towards the finish with respectable length, considering the vintage. Not the most excellent wine from the estate, yet it deserves a polite round of applause.
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
One of the finest 1994s from the Pessac-Leognan appellation, Haut Bailly's 1994 possesses a dark ruby color with purple hues. The sweet, blackcurrant, earthy, and mineral-scented nose, and ripe, medium-bodied, fleshy flavors represent the quintessentially elegant style of red Graves. The wine is rich yet ethereal in the mouth. This charming wine exhibits no hard edges (no small achievement in the 1994 vintage), as well as beautifully integrated acidity and new oak. Anticipated maturity: now-2005.
Chewy and big, this delivers bright plum, berry and cherry, with a hints of vanillla, on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, with tannins that build on the palate. Better in 1999. James Spectator 1997.
One of the finest 1994s from the Pessac-Leognan appellation, Haut Bailly's 1994 possesses a dark ruby color with purple hues. The sweet, blackcurrant, earthy, and mineral-scented nose, and ripe, medium-bodied, fleshy flavors represent the quintessentially elegant style of red Graves. The wine is rich yet ethereal in the mouth. This charming wine exhibits no hard edges (no small achievement in the 1994 vintage), as well as beautifully integrated acidity and new oak. Anticipated maturity: now-2005. Feb 1997, www.robertparker.com
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.