April 5, 2024 - In pristine condition. Leads with fresh blackberries and telltale Graves smokey notes. Lots of fruit left with some secondary development but would never have guessed blind that this was 35 years old. Tannins are still firm and a little drying. Not overly complex but very enjoyable.
January 10, 2023 - Opened tableside by J as he arrived late to tonight's event. Admittedly, it suffered from lack of air time. Yet, it still came on as #4 WOTN for me personally. Lots of barnyard up front at the beginning, it burned off as time went along. Red fruit to start but gained weight and darkened a bit in the glass as time wore on. Red fruited palate, an aged Cardinal red to the glass. Some cigar box, too.
December 22, 2022 - Supper with Jan group (McLeay Street Bistro, Potts Point): From magnum. Touch maderised, earthy, sous bois, mushroom, slight red over black fruit. Juicy acidity, leather, cigar box, textured tight tannins persists long, lightly rumbling beneath the tertiary flavours, still has a slightly fleshy quality but past its best.
November 29, 2022 - Coravin fun - Haut Bailly (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin and magnum. Almost a little porty, baked ripe red over black fruits, quite Christmas cake with nutty notes (implied oxidation and maderisation?), plenty of caramel and sweet spice, a little leather and cream. Palate very much a reflection of the nose (though obviously dry) with juicy acidity, some fruit tea tannins. Long, nice but, not unreasonably, this is not really displaying the typicity I would expect from an 89 in magnum.
November 1, 2021 - Blueberries, blackcurrant, slightly alcoholic, flint, concrete, milk rice, fresh hay. On the palate rather light, licorice, appleseeds, long sappy bitter mouth coating finish. Good wine, light bodied, dark tone.
September 3, 2021 - Coravin fun - Haut Bailly (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin and magnum. Quite reach, almost tending to Christmas cake with sweet spices, berried fruits, a little blackcurrant, earthy, leathery, under this a little cream, polished oak and very slight volatility on the nose. In the mouth, though, it's meaty and savoury, fruit is a little dried out and this is reinforced by tannic grip which proves a little hard. Acid is medium plus intensity and all that is left after the tannins has done it's work. Hmm.
March 22, 2021 - Vinen har plenty av frukt igjen, med kirsebær og jordbær mot spice, tonakk og veldig tydelig te.Medium fylde. Flaska har en friskhet som ikke var i forrige flaske drukket i fjor. En veldig behagelig - og et stykke på vei også engasjerende - vin, som heller ikke er så døden nær som en del på CT hevder. Derimot er det fint 5-7 år igjen her, ikke minst viste det seg med den tredelen av flaska som ble spart til dag 2.
Vinen mangler x-faktor, det skorter på litt på særegenhet i munnfølelse og intensitet. Uten at jeg har smakt noen av dem er det fristende å drømme om det som ble mekka hos Haut Brion og La Mission i 1989, 15 min unna. Men det er digg dette og.
March 13, 2021 - Haut-Bailly Vertical Tasting with Jane Anson (Virtual 67 Pall Mall - replay): Mature almost Porto-like on the nose - very ripe dark fruit. Like most old Bordeaux, this wine has lost some of its power but retains great complexity in the nose. On the palate, the freshness stands out - remarkable given its age. There is nothing aggressive or unbalanced in this wine. Too old for me but not past its drinking window
January 11, 2021 - N: Burnt caramel in a farmyard; old; slight tar and oil. Orange peel and rind.
P: incredibly elegant. Tertiary flavours: mushroom, undergrowth, forest floor. Long, balance and refined. Chocolatey accent to it. Game. Like a hot air balloon. Warm, energy, inviting, moreish. Amazing.
This is like an old pair of slippers (in a v good way) if you like HB.
September 5, 2020 - Fint med futt fortsatt. Nok ikke på nivå med hva 2009 og 2016 forhåpentligvis vil bli en gang i tida, men plenty av liv; jordbærsyltetøy, trøfler, skogbunn, pepper, og fin fres gjennom 3-4 timer. God lengde, om enn ikke med samme intensitet med de virkelig legendariske modne Bdx.
Ufrivillig dobbeldekantert på grunn av litt for egenrådig kork - så luftet de planlagte 5 t i flaske.