I was gonna share this bottle with friends over dinner, but after 3 hours in a decanter, it was still very tight and numb that i had to put it back to the fridge instead of serving it. The next day i gave it another 2 hours of air and it came out like a bomb! A lot of inconvenience, yet surprises at the end. It reminded me of Durfort Vivens 18, a first class wine in perfect balance and finishing. Could age for years but i wouldnt wait to experience this classy wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Concentrated, cool, intense with a very sound core of fruit. Too young, certainly, but it has so much ripe fruit, that it is actualy enjoyable already, albeit tannic - but quite soft tannin. #KongHans
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped by my sis, with encouragement from me, to go with our homemade pizza and calzone. On the nose and palate, medium notes of black currants, blackberries, a bit of black cherries and a closing note of cranberries, dry soil, rocky minerality, mixed spice, char, graphite and a bit of tobacco. Medium crimson, medium to full bodied, medium legs. Powerful and largely unintegrated acidity, medium++ tannins, no heat. VG+ complexity, intensity and persistence. My second HB after a ‘09 or ‘10 pre CT, this came out of the bottle pretty tight and backward, helped somewhat by an hour and a half in the decanter, opening slowly and somewhat grudgingly. The structure remains pretty daunting, not quite forbidding, and while there’s a lot to like and it became friendlier over the course of the hour+ we drank it, I’d still call it better with food than without, a lot more likely, at least for my palate, to be better 5++ years from now than it is at present (did I ever mention that I think most people on CT drink their wines too young and without enough air? Guilty as charged here, although at least not at my domicile.), not unlike the Grattamacco, and, to a lesser extent, the recent RS. While this was a clear winner for me over the Ridge Estate Cab that followed it, it was blown away by the earlier in the week ‘08 Ovid, which was drinking in the zone, and perhaps even when this hits its best stride, doesn’t have a profile that, for my palate, which would match up. Other notes notwithstanding, strongly counsel holding here unless you have numerous bottles, and even then, lots of aeration. 93-94+
A stunning example of what Haut Bailly does best! Full-bodied, intense, rich, balanced, fresh, and pure, there is a gorgeous, vibrancy in the long, fruit-filled finish that lingers long after the wine has left the glass. Drink from 2023-2048.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classy, soft, and elegant. This is already drinking in a very sweet spot. Amazing how open this wine is at this young age. Very well balanced between fruit and a deep mineral core, the wine shows black plums and sweet blueberry, bathing in graphite and earth. A well made and soft haut Bailey, very reminiscent of the 2000 at release. Drink or Hold
Ruby, slightly bricking at the rim. Pronounced blackcurrant/cassis on the nose, but with a red-fruited tang that drives the fruit forwards. On Palate, high acid, with high, chalky tannins. Begins with an impression of quite generous black fruit, but that's quickly taken over by a herbaceous/violet note. Powerful.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was a little less enjoyable than the 2007 or 2017 that I have had previously. Not sure if it was the bottle or the vintage but it had a a bit of a sulfur taste that threw me
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured from a 375 ml. Good but I was expecting much more. Has the dark color and viscosity one looks for, and a nicely expressive nose, with flowers, anise and a little prune. Fairly silky and deep with dark fruit. Staying power on the finish. But given the huge scores this has received, I expected to be wowed, even bowled over. Maybe if I let it go til tomorrow it might improve, but I finished it off tonight. Thankfully, I have another bottle. For now: 5-13-17-8: 93/100.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ten Vintages Haut Bailly vs Mission HB: Preamble: All wines tasted blind in 10 vintage flights (1994-2015). To every flight one random third wine from Pessac Leognan added (2x Haut Brion, 2x Smith, 2x Pape Clement, 1x Branon, 1x Luchy Halde, 1x Carmes, 1x Chevalier). All wines opened a few hours before consumption but no decanting.
Some findings: 1) Haut Bailly outperformed Mission (5 vs 4 wins, 92.5 vs 90.5 average). 2) Haut Bailly is a rather structured wine which seems to shine bright in ripe and warm vintages, without any form of excess ripeness or extraction. 3) When done right (05/15), Mission eclipses Haut Bailly with its depth and delineation , but several vintages showed a bit too ripe but especially with the alcohol not well masked (09/10). 4) Pessac wines usually need quite some air to open up. In this setting (no decanting), most wines needed a lot of swirling to fully open up and will need more cellar time. 5) The best wines today were Haut Bailly 09 (96pts) & 10 (95pts) and Mission 05 & 15 (95pts).
TN: This wine showed the weakest among the three 2015s. It is more muted with not much expression on the nose and not enough fruit showing on the palate. You can sense that there is much more substance underneath with a beautiful mineral spine but this is currently definitely not open for business. The structural frame, though, seems impeccable with a good acidic backbone which not all 2015s achieve. 91/92 pts today but with more potential.
Decanting: Not very open, this would have probably needed a few hours in the decanter.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thought this was pretty spectacular and worthy of the accolades and points it has received. Real depth and length of flavour with real sophistication and developing complexity. Red fruits- kinda cranberry-like, black and blueberry, graphite, herbs, tobacco, chocolate. There’s still some pretty assertive tannins in a positive sense, and there’s the structure there to live and evolve for a long time. But great drinking now.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for three hours. Black currants, cranberry, blackberries, cedar, leather and Indian spice. Very focused and the finish is quite long; this has a full body and silky tannins. Very layered. Less showy than many others from ‘15, with purity and finesse. A mere baby, this will age for decades. Drink 2025 -.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
(SYP) The nose is similar to that of the '14 Haut Brion. Sweet, lactic aromatics with herbs, earth, blueberry and graphite. It is round and silky, with good concentration and a volatile lift to the finish. 90+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
dark and exotic. Dark fruits. Some blueberry. Some sweet oak. Graphite. Graham cracker. Sweet on palate. Some oak. Blueberry and cassis. Some baking spice. Silky and well balanced. Long finish with good bite and some minerality.
This didn’t have the Graves character of the other vintages (05,95,90). Will it develop them with time?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blackberry, cigar box, Asian pear, licorice, nutmeg, intriguing seductive nose; pure, compact, structured, intense, long focused and very full finish; very young but excellent After two hours: Nose is similar, perfumed and lovely, with mild notes of cacao also emerging; on the palate it is tighter and more closed, but also with a slightly greater elegance and weightlessness
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 8hrs. Extremely expressive right out of the gate, aromatics of deep, dark plums with a rosy edge. The darker hue and general nature of a warm / hot 2015 Bordeaux would suggest perhaps a bit of a beast in the glass, but that couldn’t have been further from what I tasted. While there was an immediacy of dark cassis fruit, it was the perfect level of ripeness to be both fresh and inviting; the balance between tannic structure, acid, and oak – seamless. And as many have noted, a special elegance in terms of a weightless palate that solidifies that Haut-Bailly hit a home run with this one. Well, well done.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux 2015 - 5 Years On - Many Top Shots: All 12 reds tasted blind. I thought that many of these 2015s might be in a sleepy phase but that‘s not the case. The large majority of the wines are open and singing. Expressive, ripe but seldom too ripe (probably Palmer & VCC only), very layered, focused, smooth tannin structure and with a good freshness. The complete package and not one wine with noticeable alcohol. These 2015s are more exuberant than the 2016s but still full of elegance and finesse. Group Top 5: 1) Cheval Blanc, 2) Haut Brion, 3) Yquem, 4) Palmer, 5) Margaux with generally very high scores (on average 96.9 for the group, 95.8 for me) for this group of - to be fair - mostly superstar wines.
TN: I still have to find a young Haut Bailly which I truly enjoy. Non of the vintages (09, 10, 14, 16, 17) I‘ve tasted so far was open for business and ready. This 2015 is no exception, however our group was much more bullish than I was (see average score below). Too many hard edges, slightly astringent, just not very harmonious. Ripe dark fruit, lots of herbs, slight green hints on the medium- expressive nose. More open on the palate with additional notes of spices, powdered sugar and more red berries. As mentioned above the wine is not balanced with too much acidity.
Decanting: Quickly double decanted 7 hours before consumption. Would have needed several hours in the decanter.
Bordeaux 2015 horizontal - Part 1 (Stüssihof, Zurich): Part 1 of a Bordeaux 2015 horizontal privately organized among 7 fellow wine enthusiasts. We were amazed by the overall accessibility of the 2015 with only 1 out of 13 wines closed. Cheval Blanc was both my favourite and the group's wine of the night. All wines were decanted at the individual's discretion which ranged from slow ox overnight to 6-7h decants. In general I would recommend a proper 2h decant (or more) if you want to pop a 2015 now. List of wines in the tasting story.
Tasting note: Polished, ripe berry fruit, really spicy and herb-rich. Fruity and layered palate with a cooler fruit than in the nose. Great tannin structure even if still slightly coarse still. This was quite unique in its expression of spices and herbaceous notes, but opinions differed quite significantly. For me thanks to its strong character one of the best Haut-Bailley I’ve had so far, although I would also note a consistently good performance for recent vintages (2015, 2016, 2017).
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
BBQ mid Jul 2020: decanted for approx. 2 h; dark crimson color; cassis, blueberry, blackberry, mint and a little cedar; juicy and smooth on the palate while at the same time considerably tannic in the jaw pockets; medium body; long finish.
The 2015 Haut-Bailly already offers an excellent drinking experience. It's still a young wine though and further development should elevate him to an outstanding quality level. Time will tell and luckily I have some more bottles in the cellar.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
There is so much to like here starting with the vibrancy in the fruit, the length, purity and its array of notes in the perfume. Perfectly balanced, with layer after layer of sweet, ripe, silky juice, this is a stunner. However, this beauty demands cellaring. Give it until the wine hits 15 years of age and enjoy it for decades.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Linear and straight-laced from beginning to end. A stack of seeming potential, but not showing a full pulse until 7+ years from now. Similar to a ‘16 SHL I had the other day, with a primary delivery and an “L7” (which means “square”... for the uninitiated) exuberance level at this stage.
Red and black raspberry and cherry dominate. Mid and tail lack girth, elongation, depth, and complexity, but the purity and freshness levels are of note for sure. Forget all the other descriptors and just hold this bumpkin for another 6-7 years minimum. 93-94+ points for now.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Night 1: Very nice with a plush opening and deep nose. As you sip, the tight core of fruit shows up. However it is enveloped with a firm tannic structure that begs you to drop these deep in the cellar and leave them. I will purchase more and set them aside. Drink from 2030 on.
Night 2: The next night revealed a wine showing more baby fat; some may call it a more unctuous wine. Either way, it was tremendous and showed greater depth and some of the graves characteristics I enjoy. I will purchase more and leave them to slumber 8-10 years.
Transparent ruby red. Perfumed, fragrant wine with brambly dark fruit character. Has that lovely polish to it, sort of a fresh paint, new car smell. Delicate palate, more on the elegant, lighter-weight acid-driven side, but with significant weight and burr to the tannins. Really tight at the moment.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Working with wine 2019 seminar 1 - Bordeaux (Est. Restaurant, George Street, Sydney): Medium minus intensity aromas of biscuit, toast, blackcurrant, cassis, perfumed almost rose water top notes, a little black cherry as well. On the palate it's tightly tannic, the fruit persists though, there is a granularity to the tannins that is deeply pleasing. Nice.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Will not give numerical rating. This Bottle was delivered overheated in Sept. and I was allowed to keep. Distributor replaced at no cost. Decided to give an early taste test. Dark red in color. Surprisingly approachable at early age. Did not seem to have significant detrimental effect from heat- although I suspect Could have had effect longer term. Nice red fruit on palate, tannins not overly strong-- could sense complexity of wine. Finish was long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted Langtons Sydney Bordeaux 2015 event. Wonderful rich initial mouthfeel with good fruit and a herb/cedar/meaty complexity. Lovely dark berry and some plum character. Lacking a little evolution in the middle and finish to be truly great. Still a very good and enjoyable wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 2015 is one of the most compelling wines from the vintage. The blend consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. It opens to seductive aromatics of ripe blackberries, dark cherries and blueberries which come together with spring florals, tobacco and wonderful mineral nuances, all soaring from the glass. This possesses a medium-plus body with incredible balance and poise. It remans beautifully concentrated, with remarkable overall depth and focus, as it shows a wonderful combination of freshness and minerality leading up the ultra-long, opulent finish. A simply fascinating wine from Haut-Bailly which will absolutely thrive in the cellar for decades.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Intens, kraftig, og kompleks på duft med solbær, bjørnebær, lær og fyrrig rulletobakk. Et flott aromabilde. Konsentrert og overraskede oppulent. Dype herlige lag i vinen med svært tiltalende frukter av solbær, cassis, bjørnebær, fyrrig grafitt, lær, tobakk og espresso. Litt søtladen. Hinter mot å være fra California. Kraftig kost med stramme tanniner og litt høy alkohol. Vin for framtiden. 94 poeng. For nå.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This might be the best Haut-Bailly in multiple generations. The fruit is deeply pitched midnight black in tone but the material is utterly weightless, with a texture that basically gives the palate a pampering luxury spa experience. You don't often see Bordeaux, even the great ones, deliver this kind of combination of richness and finesse, especially young Bordeaux which tends to show more structure but the tannins are so polished here you barely notice them. This is almost more like drinking Richebourg than claret, though indeed the only reason I'm not rating it higher still is that the fruit is still too primary to exhibit much in the way of Graves personality.
Joanne Bordeaux Trip 2018 (Bordeaux): The nose was dark and earthy with crushed cherry, blueberry, hints of cedar, and floral undergrowth. Soft textures formed up on the palate with zesty, intense sour berry, with a stunning mix of acid and tannin that quickly clenched the senses. The finish was long and structured with lasting dark berry tones. It’s a firmer style than I’m used to here, maybe that’s why I like it, yet also balanced and quite enjoyable.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted next to 2012. Dense and concentrated on the nose - lots of dark and some red fruit, spices, smoke, crushed stones, coffee, floral notes. On the palate very dense again, lovely concentration of fruit and at the same time wonderfully vibrant and elegant. Great acidity, perfectly integrated tannins, mix of spices and minerality towards the very long, intense finish. This will be magnificent in a couple of years. 95-96+
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich, powerful, deep and sensuous, the smoke, spicy red fruits, tar, tobacco and spice box aromatics are already delivering the goods. Concentrated, full bodied, rich, powerful, long and fresh, the tannins are silky and the wine lingers on your palate with its combination of sweet fruits and spice. Give this at least a decade, or even 12-15 years in the cellar.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Heart's Delight Trade Tasting (Sofitel - Washington, DC): Dark and plummy and spicy on the nose with some roasted herbs and leather. Seems "accessible" relatively, but obvious structure here. Plums and currants laced with loam, graphite, coffee, campfire smoke. Lovely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
What refinement, already on the nose. Sure, you have ripe fruit, but this seems immediately to exude haute couture, or the feeling that you are in a gorgeous mansion. Wet stone mineral aspects on the nose prelude a palate that is at this early stage agreeably structured, but ripe. Long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red color. Nose of kirsch, blackberry. Medium full bodied fruit forward start, finished with smooth tannins will likely integrate better over time, but enjoyable now. An elegant balanced wine with a smooth feel. Actually after 4 days of being open with just the cork in the bottle, it was even better. Its intensity and concentration became apparent. Awesome wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Close the same level of quality reached in 2009 and 2010, this is exciting to taste. Full bodied, deep, rich, powerful. The wine is equally silky, fresh, soft and complex. Out of the gate, the nose offers cedar, smoke, wet earth, tobacco leaf and a melange of dark, red fruits. There is intense, concentration, length and purity. Give this at least 1 decade in the bottle and enjoy it over the next 3 decades after that.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
UGC Tasting Amsterdam 2/5/2018: Only for adult tasters, ok, I'm joking, but it is the opposite of SHL; everything comes from very deep (inside the vulcan), creamy, elegant spices, everything is balance, perfection and concentration (more than SHL and Domaine de Chevalier). It will become very hard working to tickle this wine the next 5 to 10 years, but wow, what a future; my best wine of this '15 tasting.....and the '16 is even slightly better?
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
UGCB 2015 tasting (Amsterdam): This is a small feast! No sharp edges whatsoever. Beautiful and ripe dark berries, beautifully dosed oak, slightly perfumed, pleasant bitterness, beautiful acidity and a touch of pleasant sweetness. Great wine! 96- 97
Graves and Pessac Leognan from bottle: 2015 vintage (UGCB tastings in New York and Washington DC): The top red of the Graves region? Why? There is at first a strict aspect to the wine, very cassis focused, very Cabernet. Time in glass brings about such pristine "breed" to the taster, as if we enter a realm of "high art". The texture is not so much silky as nuanced, and intriguing. There is real freshness and depth as well, but the effect is greater than the sum of the parts. Cooler blue fruit elegance on the finish with much lift, but also subtle density to the wine, which means that this will age very well. It reminds me of the 2005 in a similar stage of evolution, some 10 years ago.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tight at this point with dry tannins. Plenty of red fruits if a bit tart and seemingly unbalanced. It is light to medium bodied. Leather, cherries and mocha predominate right now. Certainly needs time to come together. Awkward at this time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This opened up with an earthy display of crushed raspberries, dusty minerality and hints of undergrowth. On the palate, silky, mouth-coating textures were offset by zesty acidity welcoming in pure red berry fruit and fine tannin, which lasted throughout the long, structured finish. Gorgeous.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2015 (Montreal): Not as settled as SHL, Firm tannins, fruit forward with dark blackberries and some good cedar characteristics this is pretty racy at this age however I am expecting it to settle down. Still developing however has great potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Union des Grands Crus Boston: Very tight, tense, and taut at the moment which is no huge surprise for the age. Very nicely balanced on the glossy palate. Finishes just a touch hot but with a typically lovely Haut-Bailly profile of ripe black fruits and polished cedar. 93+ ish, but these could really blossom - it has the substance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
UGCB Boston (Boston Harbor Hotel): Gorgeous black/red fruit, cedar, tobacco and brick notes already with a smokey background note. Bit of BBQ and fresh blueberry in the finish. This is a seriously nice wine, and one of my highlights of this tasting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2015 Vintage UGC Bordeaux Tasting (Fairmont Hotel, DC): Great nose, good and almost the equal of the Smith Haut Lafitte in our preferences of the appellation, but still well below the threshold of something we would buy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely ripe nose of blackberry,plum,spices,minerals and some floral notes.On the palate the wine is more about elegance and balance than about structure and weight,with slightly firm but ripe tannins and good length.But where is the depth,the distinction and the great class of Haut-Bailly ??? Overall a big step down of 2010 ! Opened my first 2 bottles ... same result.A little bit disappointing .... some good qualities,but overall it did not convince me. (Barrel sample and wine in bottle are sometimes 2 different stories .... and especially in Bordeaux ! )
Not quite at the level of the 2009 and 2010, but not too far from that plateau either. This is at top for the level of quality coming out of Haut Bailly these days. Deep in color, the wine is intense, there is a wall of truffle, smoke and blackberries with cigar box overtones that grab you. Full bodied and deep, with a lot of flavor and intensity, this is a solid wine that I cannot wait to taste in bottle.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rounder and with more flesh than when last tasted, the smoky, luscious blackberries, boysenberry, cigar and tobacco notes really grab you. There is length, flavor and freshness. This wine clearly merits status as one of the great vintages of Haut Bailly. This will need time in the cellar before it starts showing all it has to offer. Give it a decade or so and then enjoy the magic. The wine was made from blending 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.
Feeling Pessac-Léognan pizzaz, appreciating dry extract #bdx15: whites and reds (Bordeaux, actually tasted during en primeur week): As we have seen from other wines in this vintage, acidity was not too high (3.2 grams, with 13.6% alcohol), palate is silky with pure red berries and cool blue fruit. I love the juicy mid palate, with plenty of sap and structure, at once subtle and refined. Reassuring tannic force marks the finish, which augurs well for future aging. The barrel sample of Haut Bailly in 2015 – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon for evident structure, 36% Merlot for opulence (more or less), and a touch of Petit Verdot for spice – comes across as a mix between the structured 2005 and the sumptuous 2009. Both vintages are great, so this should be a great wine, too! However, I hope the price won’t be too great ;-) 93-95+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
With an excellent depth of color, this wine displays smoke, blackberries, boysenberry, cigar box, spice, caramel and forest floor. Full-bodied with deep flavor, freshness and length. The tannins are refined, but noticeable. This will take time to develop, soften and come around, but based on previous vintages, given time, this should do exactly that. The finish is all about the sweet, ripe, pure, dark, red and black fruits, cocoa and cherry liqueur you find easily in the endnotes. From a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, this wine reached 13.6% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The Grand Vin was produced from 50% of the harvest, which took place from September 15 to October 8. 96 - 98 Pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted @ large primeur tasting. Super classic and classy aromatics of black cherries, black currant/cassis, cigar, cedarwood, graphite, lead pencil, violets, some sweet spices and dark chocolate. It's medium-full bodied, dense with pretty high acidity and high tannin that is top-notch quality. Excellent length. A super classy and elegant Haut-Bailly once again, they always take quite a while to fully develop but the sheer class and potential is there in spades. (95-97)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/16/2024 - kelvinkyng wrote:
I was gonna share this bottle with friends over dinner, but after 3 hours in a decanter, it was still very tight and numb that i had to put it back to the fridge instead of serving it. The next day i gave it another 2 hours of air and it came out like a bomb! A lot of inconvenience, yet surprises at the end. It reminded me of Durfort Vivens 18, a first class wine in perfect balance and finishing. Could age for years but i wouldnt wait to experience this classy wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2024 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Concentrated, cool, intense with a very sound core of fruit. Too young, certainly, but it has so much ripe fruit, that it is actualy enjoyable already, albeit tannic - but quite soft tannin.
#KongHans
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Salon Ficofi Paris walkabout tasting and dinner, no detailed tasting notes. Polished, dense fruit, well judged palate and freshness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped by my sis, with encouragement from me, to go with our homemade pizza and calzone. On the nose and palate, medium notes of black currants, blackberries, a bit of black cherries and a closing note of cranberries, dry soil, rocky minerality, mixed spice, char, graphite and a bit of tobacco. Medium crimson, medium to full bodied, medium legs. Powerful and largely unintegrated acidity, medium++ tannins, no heat. VG+ complexity, intensity and persistence. My second HB after a ‘09 or ‘10 pre CT, this came out of the bottle pretty tight and backward, helped somewhat by an hour and a half in the decanter, opening slowly and somewhat grudgingly. The structure remains pretty daunting, not quite forbidding, and while there’s a lot to like and it became friendlier over the course of the hour+ we drank it, I’d still call it better with food than without, a lot more likely, at least for my palate, to be better 5++ years from now than it is at present (did I ever mention that I think most people on CT drink their wines too young and without enough air? Guilty as charged here, although at least not at my domicile.), not unlike the Grattamacco, and, to a lesser extent, the recent RS. While this was a clear winner for me over the Ridge Estate Cab that followed it, it was blown away by the earlier in the week ‘08 Ovid, which was drinking in the zone, and perhaps even when this hits its best stride, doesn’t have a profile that, for my palate, which would match up. Other notes notwithstanding, strongly counsel holding here unless you have numerous bottles, and even then, lots of aeration. 93-94+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6)
11/13/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
A stunning example of what Haut Bailly does best! Full-bodied, intense, rich, balanced, fresh, and pure, there is a gorgeous, vibrancy in the long, fruit-filled finish that lingers long after the wine has left the glass. Drink from 2023-2048.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2023 - pren wrote: 91 Points
尝。一切都很深，紫，无法判断，目前的pleasure有限
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2023 - skifree wrote: 95 Points
Very dark in color. Stunningly good for its age, great purity of fruit and then a lovely minerality intermingled with the fruit at the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
Classy, soft, and elegant. This is already drinking in a very sweet spot. Amazing how open this wine is at this young age. Very well balanced between fruit and a deep mineral core, the wine shows black plums and sweet blueberry, bathing in graphite and earth. A well made and soft haut Bailey, very reminiscent of the 2000 at release. Drink or Hold
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
11/7/2023 - Bigdong wrote: 93 Points
elegant, chocolate
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2023 - Jamieson12o wrote: 92 Points
Ruby, slightly bricking at the rim. Pronounced blackcurrant/cassis on the nose, but with a red-fruited tang that drives the fruit forwards. On Palate, high acid, with high, chalky tannins. Begins with an impression of quite generous black fruit, but that's quickly taken over by a herbaceous/violet note. Powerful.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2023 - castle.rob@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle was a little less enjoyable than the 2007 or 2017 that I have had previously. Not sure if it was the bottle or the vintage but it had a a bit of a sulfur taste that threw me
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2023 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured from a 375 ml. Good but I was expecting much more. Has the dark color and viscosity one looks for, and a nicely expressive nose, with flowers, anise and a little prune. Fairly silky and deep with dark fruit. Staying power on the finish. But given the huge scores this has received, I expected to be wowed, even bowled over. Maybe if I let it go til tomorrow it might improve, but I finished it off tonight. Thankfully, I have another bottle. For now: 5-13-17-8: 93/100.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2022 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
Ten Vintages Haut Bailly vs Mission HB: Preamble: All wines tasted blind in 10 vintage flights (1994-2015). To every flight one random third wine from Pessac Leognan added (2x Haut Brion, 2x Smith, 2x Pape Clement, 1x Branon, 1x Luchy Halde, 1x Carmes, 1x Chevalier). All wines opened a few hours before consumption but no decanting.
Some findings:
1) Haut Bailly outperformed Mission (5 vs 4 wins, 92.5 vs 90.5 average). 2) Haut Bailly is a rather structured wine which seems to shine bright in ripe and warm vintages, without any form of excess ripeness or extraction. 3) When done right (05/15), Mission eclipses Haut Bailly with its depth and delineation , but several vintages showed a bit too ripe but especially with the alcohol not well masked (09/10). 4) Pessac wines usually need quite some air to open up. In this setting (no decanting), most wines needed a lot of swirling to fully open up and will need more cellar time. 5) The best wines today were Haut Bailly 09 (96pts) & 10 (95pts) and Mission 05 & 15 (95pts).
TN: This wine showed the weakest among the three 2015s. It is more muted with not much expression on the nose and not enough fruit showing on the palate. You can sense that there is much more substance underneath with a beautiful mineral spine but this is currently definitely not open for business. The structural frame, though, seems impeccable with a good acidic backbone which not all 2015s achieve. 91/92 pts today but with more potential.
Decanting: Not very open, this would have probably needed a few hours in the decanter.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2022 - azzah Likes this wine: 96 Points
Thought this was pretty spectacular and worthy of the accolades and points it has received. Real depth and length of flavour with real sophistication and developing complexity. Red fruits- kinda cranberry-like, black and blueberry, graphite, herbs, tobacco, chocolate. There’s still some pretty assertive tannins in a positive sense, and there’s the structure there to live and evolve for a long time. But great drinking now.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2022 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for three hours. Black currants, cranberry, blackberries, cedar, leather and Indian spice. Very focused and the finish is quite long; this has a full body and silky tannins. Very layered. Less showy than many others from ‘15, with purity and finesse. A mere baby, this will age for decades. Drink 2025 -.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2022 - Irish_Wine wrote: 94 Points
Medium ruby.
Lovely pronounced nose with rasberry, red plum,black currant, cedar, tobacco, leather, mint.
Lovely intensity on the palate. Long finish.
*** Tasted as part of a walkaround Bordeaux tasting. Not full notes ***
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2022 - Andybe wrote: 93 Points
Introvert and shy. Quality is clearly there. Medium body and no overdone oak and tannins. C’mon grow up !
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/5/2022 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bit jammy black fruits, herbaceous and peppery, still rough tannin. Hint of truffle and espresso note. Wait 3-5 years. 94
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2022 - LTTC wrote:
(SYP) The nose is similar to that of the '14 Haut Brion. Sweet, lactic aromatics with herbs, earth, blueberry and graphite. It is round and silky, with good concentration and a volatile lift to the finish. 90+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2022 - Seth Rosenberg wrote:
dark and exotic. Dark fruits. Some blueberry. Some sweet oak. Graphite. Graham cracker. Sweet on palate. Some oak. Blueberry and cassis. Some baking spice. Silky and well balanced. Long finish with good bite and some minerality.
This didn’t have the Graves character of the other vintages (05,95,90). Will it develop them with time?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2021 - wineappreciation wrote: 93 Points
Blackberry, cigar box, Asian pear, licorice, nutmeg, intriguing seductive nose; pure, compact, structured, intense, long focused and very full finish; very young but excellent
After two hours: Nose is similar, perfumed and lovely, with mild notes of cacao also emerging; on the palate it is tighter and more closed, but also with a slightly greater elegance and weightlessness
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2020 - Dale M wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 8hrs. Extremely expressive right out of the gate, aromatics of deep, dark plums with a rosy edge. The darker hue and general nature of a warm / hot 2015 Bordeaux would suggest perhaps a bit of a beast in the glass, but that couldn’t have been further from what I tasted. While there was an immediacy of dark cassis fruit, it was the perfect level of ripeness to be both fresh and inviting; the balance between tannic structure, acid, and oak – seamless. And as many have noted, a special elegance in terms of a weightless palate that solidifies that Haut-Bailly hit a home run with this one. Well, well done.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2020 - Cailles wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux 2015 - 5 Years On - Many Top Shots: All 12 reds tasted blind. I thought that many of these 2015s might be in a sleepy phase but that‘s not the case. The large majority of the wines are open and singing. Expressive, ripe but seldom too ripe (probably Palmer & VCC only), very layered, focused, smooth tannin structure and with a good freshness. The complete package and not one wine with noticeable alcohol. These 2015s are more exuberant than the 2016s but still full of elegance and finesse. Group Top 5: 1) Cheval Blanc, 2) Haut Brion, 3) Yquem, 4) Palmer, 5) Margaux with generally very high scores (on average 96.9 for the group, 95.8 for me) for this group of - to be fair - mostly superstar wines.
TN: I still have to find a young Haut Bailly which I truly enjoy. Non of the vintages (09, 10, 14, 16, 17) I‘ve tasted so far was open for business and ready. This 2015 is no exception, however our group was much more bullish than I was (see average score below). Too many hard edges, slightly astringent, just not very harmonious. Ripe dark fruit, lots of herbs, slight green hints on the medium- expressive nose. More open on the palate with additional notes of spices, powdered sugar and more red berries. As mentioned above the wine is not balanced with too much acidity.
Decanting: Quickly double decanted 7 hours before consumption. Would have needed several hours in the decanter.
Group rank: 12 out of 13 wines
Group score: 95.1
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6)
7/16/2020 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bordeaux 2015 horizontal - Part 1 (Stüssihof, Zurich): Part 1 of a Bordeaux 2015 horizontal privately organized among 7 fellow wine enthusiasts. We were amazed by the overall accessibility of the 2015 with only 1 out of 13 wines closed. Cheval Blanc was both my favourite and the group's wine of the night. All wines were decanted at the individual's discretion which ranged from slow ox overnight to 6-7h decants. In general I would recommend a proper 2h decant (or more) if you want to pop a 2015 now. List of wines in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Polished, ripe berry fruit, really spicy and herb-rich. Fruity and layered palate with a cooler fruit than in the nose. Great tannin structure even if still slightly coarse still. This was quite unique in its expression of spices and herbaceous notes, but opinions differed quite significantly. For me thanks to its strong character one of the best Haut-Bailley I’ve had so far, although I would also note a consistently good performance for recent vintages (2015, 2016, 2017).
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2020 - Fatty Cat wrote: 94 Points
BBQ mid Jul 2020: decanted for approx. 2 h; dark crimson color; cassis, blueberry, blackberry, mint and a little cedar; juicy and smooth on the palate while at the same time considerably tannic in the jaw pockets; medium body; long finish.
The 2015 Haut-Bailly already offers an excellent drinking experience. It's still a young wine though and further development should elevate him to an outstanding quality level. Time will tell and luckily I have some more bottles in the cellar.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
There is so much to like here starting with the vibrancy in the fruit, the length, purity and its array of notes in the perfume. Perfectly balanced, with layer after layer of sweet, ripe, silky juice, this is a stunner. However, this beauty demands cellaring. Give it until the wine hits 15 years of age and enjoy it for decades.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2019 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Linear and straight-laced from beginning to end. A stack of seeming potential, but not showing a full pulse until 7+ years from now. Similar to a ‘16 SHL I had the other day, with a primary delivery and an “L7” (which means “square”... for the uninitiated) exuberance level at this stage.
Red and black raspberry and cherry dominate. Mid and tail lack girth, elongation, depth, and complexity, but the purity and freshness levels are of note for sure. Forget all the other descriptors and just hold this bumpkin for another 6-7 years minimum. 93-94+ points for now.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2019 - BradA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Night 1:
Very nice with a plush opening and deep nose. As you sip, the tight core of fruit shows up. However it is enveloped with a firm tannic structure that begs you to drop these deep in the cellar and leave them. I will purchase more and set them aside. Drink from 2030 on.
Night 2:
The next night revealed a wine showing more baby fat; some may call it a more unctuous wine. Either way, it was tremendous and showed greater depth and some of the graves characteristics I enjoy. I will purchase more and leave them to slumber 8-10 years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)
5/1/2019 - Milliontown wrote: 91 Points
Transparent ruby red. Perfumed, fragrant wine with brambly dark fruit character. Has that lovely polish to it, sort of a fresh paint, new car smell. Delicate palate, more on the elegant, lighter-weight acid-driven side, but with significant weight and burr to the tannins. Really tight at the moment.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2019 - chatters wrote:
Working with wine 2019 seminar 1 - Bordeaux (Est. Restaurant, George Street, Sydney): Medium minus intensity aromas of biscuit, toast, blackcurrant, cassis, perfumed almost rose water top notes, a little black cherry as well. On the palate it's tightly tannic, the fruit persists though, there is a granularity to the tannins that is deeply pleasing. Nice.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2019 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 4 hours. I knew this one was young, but wish I had held off. Will be a great wine, but will set it aside for a few years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
1/12/2019 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 98 Points
Great tannins, charcoal, deep dark fruit, exactly what we are looking for in a Bordeaux. Definitely buying more to hold.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2018 - gew71walsh wrote:
Will not give numerical rating. This Bottle was delivered overheated in Sept. and I was allowed to keep. Distributor replaced at no cost. Decided to give an early taste test. Dark red in color. Surprisingly approachable at early age. Did not seem to have significant detrimental effect from heat- although I suspect Could have had effect longer term. Nice red fruit on palate, tannins not overly strong-- could sense complexity of wine. Finish was long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2018 - Myownscale wrote: 90 Points
Nose:
oaky, vanilla, verggie, but good, hint barn yard
Palate:
nice wood, good fruit red
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2018 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted Langtons Sydney Bordeaux 2015 event. Wonderful rich initial mouthfeel with good fruit and a herb/cedar/meaty complexity. Lovely dark berry and some plum character. Lacking a little evolution in the middle and finish to be truly great. Still a very good and enjoyable wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2018 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 97 Points
The 2015 is one of the most compelling wines from the vintage. The blend consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. It opens to seductive aromatics of ripe blackberries, dark cherries and blueberries which come together with spring florals, tobacco and wonderful mineral nuances, all soaring from the glass. This possesses a medium-plus body with incredible balance and poise. It remans beautifully concentrated, with remarkable overall depth and focus, as it shows a wonderful combination of freshness and minerality leading up the ultra-long, opulent finish. A simply fascinating wine from Haut-Bailly which will absolutely thrive in the cellar for decades.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2018 - Andre Brattland wrote: 94 Points
Intens, kraftig, og kompleks på duft med solbær, bjørnebær, lær og fyrrig rulletobakk. Et flott aromabilde. Konsentrert og overraskede oppulent. Dype herlige lag i vinen med svært tiltalende frukter av solbær, cassis, bjørnebær, fyrrig grafitt, lær, tobakk og espresso. Litt søtladen. Hinter mot å være fra California. Kraftig kost med stramme tanniner og litt høy alkohol. Vin for framtiden. 94 poeng. For nå.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2018 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 96 Points
This might be the best Haut-Bailly in multiple generations. The fruit is deeply pitched midnight black in tone but the material is utterly weightless, with a texture that basically gives the palate a pampering luxury spa experience. You don't often see Bordeaux, even the great ones, deliver this kind of combination of richness and finesse, especially young Bordeaux which tends to show more structure but the tannins are so polished here you barely notice them. This is almost more like drinking Richebourg than claret, though indeed the only reason I'm not rating it higher still is that the fruit is still too primary to exhibit much in the way of Graves personality.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/20/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
Joanne Bordeaux Trip 2018 (Bordeaux): The nose was dark and earthy with crushed cherry, blueberry, hints of cedar, and floral undergrowth. Soft textures formed up on the palate with zesty, intense sour berry, with a stunning mix of acid and tannin that quickly clenched the senses. The finish was long and structured with lasting dark berry tones. It’s a firmer style than I’m used to here, maybe that’s why I like it, yet also balanced and quite enjoyable.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 96 Points
Tasted next to 2012. Dense and concentrated on the nose - lots of dark and some red fruit, spices, smoke, crushed stones, coffee, floral notes. On the palate very dense again, lovely concentration of fruit and at the same time wonderfully vibrant and elegant. Great acidity, perfectly integrated tannins, mix of spices and minerality towards the very long, intense finish. This will be magnificent in a couple of years. 95-96+
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Rich, powerful, deep and sensuous, the smoke, spicy red fruits, tar, tobacco and spice box aromatics are already delivering the goods. Concentrated, full bodied, rich, powerful, long and fresh, the tannins are silky and the wine lingers on your palate with its combination of sweet fruits and spice. Give this at least a decade, or even 12-15 years in the cellar.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2018 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Heart's Delight Trade Tasting (Sofitel - Washington, DC): Dark and plummy and spicy on the nose with some roasted herbs and leather. Seems "accessible" relatively, but obvious structure here. Plums and currants laced with loam, graphite, coffee, campfire smoke. Lovely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2018 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 95 Points
What refinement, already on the nose. Sure, you have ripe fruit, but this seems immediately to exude haute couture, or the feeling that you are in a gorgeous mansion. Wet stone mineral aspects on the nose prelude a palate that is at this early stage agreeably structured, but ripe. Long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2018 - RichD2 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Deep red color. Nose of kirsch, blackberry. Medium full bodied fruit forward start, finished with smooth tannins will likely integrate better over time, but enjoyable now. An elegant balanced wine with a smooth feel. Actually after 4 days of being open with just the cork in the bottle, it was even better. Its intensity and concentration became apparent. Awesome wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Close the same level of quality reached in 2009 and 2010, this is exciting to taste. Full bodied, deep, rich, powerful. The wine is equally silky, fresh, soft and complex. Out of the gate, the nose offers cedar, smoke, wet earth, tobacco leaf and a melange of dark, red fruits. There is intense, concentration, length and purity. Give this at least 1 decade in the bottle and enjoy it over the next 3 decades after that.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2018 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Nice nose of ripe red cherries, cedar wood… red cherries, tannin slightly present, not very long
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2018 - FransS wrote: 97 Points
UGC Tasting Amsterdam 2/5/2018: Only for adult tasters, ok, I'm joking, but it is the opposite of SHL; everything comes from very deep (inside the vulcan), creamy, elegant spices, everything is balance, perfection and concentration (more than SHL and Domaine de Chevalier). It will become very hard working to tickle this wine the next 5 to 10 years, but wow, what a future; my best wine of this '15 tasting.....and the '16 is even slightly better?
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2018 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
Amsterdam UGCB Tasting and Winemakers' Dinner (Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky / Café De Klepel): Tasting, brief note. The innate balance and harmony of Haut-Bailly are already noticeable, gentle red fruit, the tannins have a lot of oomph and need time to integrate. Profound rather than flashy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2018 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
UGCB 2015 tasting (Amsterdam): This is a small feast! No sharp edges whatsoever. Beautiful and ripe dark berries, beautifully dosed oak, slightly perfumed, pleasant bitterness, beautiful acidity and a touch of pleasant sweetness. Great wine! 96- 97
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/29/2018 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 95 Points
Graves and Pessac Leognan from bottle: 2015 vintage (UGCB tastings in New York and Washington DC): The top red of the Graves region? Why? There is at first a strict aspect to the wine, very cassis focused, very Cabernet. Time in glass brings about such pristine "breed" to the taster, as if we enter a realm of "high art". The texture is not so much silky as nuanced, and intriguing. There is real freshness and depth as well, but the effect is greater than the sum of the parts. Cooler blue fruit elegance on the finish with much lift, but also subtle density to the wine, which means that this will age very well. It reminds me of the 2005 in a similar stage of evolution, some 10 years ago.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2018 - Lipsman wrote: 88 Points
Tight at this point with dry tannins. Plenty of red fruits if a bit tart and seemingly unbalanced. It is light to medium bodied. Leather, cherries and mocha predominate right now. Certainly needs time to come together. Awkward at this time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 95 Points
This opened up with an earthy display of crushed raspberries, dusty minerality and hints of undergrowth. On the palate, silky, mouth-coating textures were offset by zesty acidity welcoming in pure red berry fruit and fine tannin, which lasted throughout the long, structured finish. Gorgeous.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2018 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2015 (Montreal): Not as settled as SHL, Firm tannins, fruit forward with dark blackberries and some good cedar characteristics this is pretty racy at this age however I am expecting it to settle down. Still developing however has great potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
Union des Grands Crus Boston: Very tight, tense, and taut at the moment which is no huge surprise for the age. Very nicely balanced on the glossy palate. Finishes just a touch hot but with a typically lovely Haut-Bailly profile of ripe black fruits and polished cedar. 93+ ish, but these could really blossom - it has the substance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2018 - RockinCabs wrote: 96 Points
UGCB Boston (Boston Harbor Hotel): Gorgeous black/red fruit, cedar, tobacco and brick notes already with a smokey background note. Bit of BBQ and fresh blueberry in the finish. This is a seriously nice wine, and one of my highlights of this tasting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2018 - yeti575rider wrote: 91 Points
2015 Vintage UGC Bordeaux Tasting (Fairmont Hotel, DC): Great nose, good and almost the equal of the Smith Haut Lafitte in our preferences of the appellation, but still well below the threshold of something we would buy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2017 - valedeniro wrote: 93 Points
Lovely ripe nose of blackberry,plum,spices,minerals and some floral notes.On the palate the wine is more about elegance and balance than about structure and weight,with slightly firm but ripe tannins and good length.But where is the depth,the distinction and the great class of Haut-Bailly ??? Overall a big step down of 2010 !
Opened my first 2 bottles ... same result.A little bit disappointing .... some good qualities,but overall it did not convince me.
(Barrel sample and wine in bottle are sometimes 2 different stories .... and especially in Bordeaux ! )
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
7/12/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Not quite at the level of the 2009 and 2010, but not too far from that plateau either. This is at top for the level of quality coming out of Haut Bailly these days. Deep in color, the wine is intense, there is a wall of truffle, smoke and blackberries with cigar box overtones that grab you. Full bodied and deep, with a lot of flavor and intensity, this is a solid wine that I cannot wait to taste in bottle.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Rounder and with more flesh than when last tasted, the smoky, luscious blackberries, boysenberry, cigar and tobacco notes really grab you. There is length, flavor and freshness. This wine clearly merits status as one of the great vintages of Haut Bailly. This will need time in the cellar before it starts showing all it has to offer. Give it a decade or so and then enjoy the magic. The wine was made from blending 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/21/2016 - wineforth Likes this wine: 95 Points
Barrel sample at Lords. Good colour, more tannic and less immediately expressive on the nose than others from the commune. Very long and persistent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2016 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine:
Feeling Pessac-Léognan pizzaz, appreciating dry extract #bdx15: whites and reds (Bordeaux, actually tasted during en primeur week): As we have seen from other wines in this vintage, acidity was not too high (3.2 grams, with 13.6% alcohol), palate is silky with pure red berries and cool blue fruit. I love the juicy mid palate, with plenty of sap and structure, at once subtle and refined. Reassuring tannic force marks the finish, which augurs well for future aging. The barrel sample of Haut Bailly in 2015 – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon for evident structure, 36% Merlot for opulence (more or less), and a touch of Petit Verdot for spice – comes across as a mix between the structured 2005 and the sumptuous 2009. Both vintages are great, so this should be a great wine, too! However, I hope the price won’t be too great ;-) 93-95+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
With an excellent depth of color, this wine displays smoke, blackberries, boysenberry, cigar box, spice, caramel and forest floor. Full-bodied with deep flavor, freshness and length. The tannins are refined, but noticeable. This will take time to develop, soften and come around, but based on previous vintages, given time, this should do exactly that. The finish is all about the sweet, ripe, pure, dark, red and black fruits, cocoa and cherry liqueur you find easily in the endnotes. From a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, this wine reached 13.6% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The Grand Vin was produced from 50% of the harvest, which took place from September 15 to October 8. 96 - 98 Pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2016 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted @ large primeur tasting. Super classic and classy aromatics of black cherries, black currant/cassis, cigar, cedarwood, graphite, lead pencil, violets, some sweet spices and dark chocolate. It's medium-full bodied, dense with pretty high acidity and high tannin that is top-notch quality. Excellent length. A super classy and elegant Haut-Bailly once again, they always take quite a while to fully develop but the sheer class and potential is there in spades. (95-97)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment