Ian S's Haut Bailly Offline

The Ledbury, London
Tasted Wednesday, March 9, 2011 by SimonG with 617 views

Flight 1 (1 Note)

Canapé of crispy milk soaked rabbit

Flight 2 (3 Notes)

Carpaccio of deer with Banyuls, foie gras and hazelnut

  • 2004 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Quite a deep, plush, velvety nose. Dense fruit. Still quite primary. Oak certainly noticeable but it's got the fruit to cover it. Good potential here. **(*1/2)

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  • 2001 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Similar nose, a bit less concentrated. Slightly medicinal edge too. Soft attack, drops away in the middle though finishes a bit more positively. A more mineral and tobacco finish, less ripe fruit. More classic but a weaker example. ***

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  • 2000 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Lovely nose. The plush side of Graves typicity. Good fruit and ripe/rounded on attack and mid palate. Certainly approachable but structure for the future. Lovely. ***(*1/2)

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Flight 3 (3 Notes)

Beetroot baked in clay with serrano ham, dried olives and saba

  • 1999 Château Haut-Bailly Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Similar nose, a little earthier. Noticeable woodiness and leanness on the attack. 2/10 TCA.

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  • 1998 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Quite a deep, slightly cheesey nose. Still quite tannic with noticeable acidity. Needs a while to come back in to kilter. Hopefully. **(*1/2)

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  • 1996 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Green pepper nose. Seems slightly at odds with the other wines so far. A little leaner. As Jamie says, a touch oxidised too. Seems below par for 96 but can't quite put finger on it. ***

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Flight 4 (3 Notes)

Ravioli of beef with field mushrooms, Cevenne onion and bone marrow

  • 1995 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Dense in the glass. Good fruit. Still quite tight and brooding but should blossom beautifully. Needs a few years yet. **(**)+

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  • 1990 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Quite mellow, classic dry claret initially. A touch liquorish/dry on the finish. Not sure this is as good as the first impression suggested. Drying out? Decent though. ***1/2. A second glass from same bottle passed round blind later in evening was unrecognisably better- rounder, sweeter fruit and no dryness on finish. ****1/2

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  • 1988 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Lovely mineral and tobacco nose. Lovely balance, fruit to cover the dryness but also a lovely freshnesh to this. Very drinkable. ****

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Flight 5 (3 Notes)

Loin of lamb with fresh curd, pinenuts and rosemary

  • 1986 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Slightly curious nose. A little herbaceous. 86 palate. Fruit doesn't cover tannin. Ungenerous. **1/2

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  • 1985 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Light, fagrant nose. Sweet fruit on the attack. Very charming and easy. Slips down. Nicely complex but almost too easy. really lovely. ****1/2

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  • 1966 Château Haut-Bailly

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Curious nose. Camphor/moth balls, opening up to some meatiness. A slight caramel sweetness. Ok, but feels as if it's on the way out although it does open, smooth and round out a bit with air. (*)**

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

Caramelised clementine soufflé with clementine leaf ice cream

  • 1997 Château Doisy-Védrines

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Deep Amber. Rich. A touch of mandarin and barley sugar. Nothing medicinal here. Intense, full and a degree of richness. Will it be sweet enough for pudding? Just. ****

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Flight 7 (1 Note)

  • 1970 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Lovely light ruby colour to tawny at the rim. Sweet fruited and quite light nose and attack. Spirity hot
    finish. Really don't get non-tawny port. Spirit blows off a bit but still leaves me with a 'so what?' feeling. ***, no doubt more if port's your thing.

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Closing

Highlights for me were the 85, 90 (second glass) and 88 for drinking now, with the 2000 and 95 for the future.

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