Château Haut Bailly - Pessac-Léognan 1998

Wine Advocate

90 / 100

byNeal Martinthe7/23/2009

Showing better than at the Château in September 2007. This has a lovely floral note on the nose blackberry, dark cherries, smoke, a touch of dark truffle all with very good definition again. It shows less precocity than before, less of the date and iodine elements that just made it a little obvious before. The palate is medium-bodied and starting to show secondary characteristics. Upfront black fruits, nice sense of mineralité but with touches of cooked meat just towards the finish. Nice grainy texture. Moderate length. This is showing very well – Saint Emilion in Graves but it still needs to take a couple more steps to reach its plateau. (declassified 50% and put all the Merlot in the wine) Drink now-2018. Tasted March 2009.

Decanter Magazine

4 / 20

the8/6/2004

Lively dark fruit buth withdrawn. Plenty of minerally intensity on the palate. Very clean, fresh, pure and long. Structured but fine balance. 2006-2020

Wine Advocate

88 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2001

Dark ruby-colored with a sweet nose of berry fruit, smoke, black cherries, and spice box, this medium-bodied wine is charming, restrained, rich, and long. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2016.

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/31/2001

Loads of plum, berry and cherry aromas. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Very well done and superfine. Best after 2008. 6,665 cases made.

Wine Advocate

84-86 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2000

This restrained, polite, light to medium-bodied offering reveals attractive smoke, berry, and currant aromas, medium body, little concentration, and a short finish. The wine does possess charm, sweet tannin, and fine balance, but there is not a lot to it. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2010.

Wine Advocate

86-87 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1999

This delicate, subtle wine is often difficult to evaluate young. However, Haut-Bailly's 1998 is a fruit-driven, soft, black currant and cherry-scented and flavored wine with undeniable elegance, but not much volume, depth, or length. If more richness emerges with barrel aging, this well-balanced and symmetrical 1998 will deserve a higher rating. Anticipated maturity: now-2010.