Tasted at the château, the 1998 Haut-Bailly is a wine that exploits what was a fine vintage in Pessac-Léognan, and appears to slowly improve with age. Having not reached adulthood yet, it has a simmering, powerful bouquet with smoke and truffle accompanying the red berry fruit, perhaps a little mintier than previous bottles. The palate is complex and well balanced, harmonious with kirsch and bay leaf, you could say "modestly precocious" in style. The acidity cuts through nicely here, lending freshness on the finish that feels long and possesses the substance to suggest that it will easily bestow drinkers with another 15-20 years of pleasure. You could broach this now, but it possesses the concentration to mature over the next 20 years without problem. Tasted March 2016.- Neal Martin (06/2016)
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. –JS
Dark red. Plum, currant, tar, tobacco, smoke, cedar and minerals. Supple and dense, with excellent precision of crystallized red berry flavors thanks to ripe acids and firm minerality. Very dry, sophisticated finish is long and gripping. The merlot was even better in '98 than in '00, said Sanders, but in a different style.- Stephen Tanzer (05/2001)
Producer: Haut Bailly
Vintage: 1998
Varietal: Red Blend
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Sub-Region: Pessac Leognan
Appellation:
Sub-Appellation:
SKU: #
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