2005 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
SKU #1034903
95
points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Haut-Bailly’s American proprietor, Robert Wilmers, backed up by the brilliant Veronique Sanders, continues to go from strength to strength. A fabulous example of this estate, the 2005 is an ethereal, delicate, finesse-styled offering with intensity as well as richness. It has all the concentration one could want, but it comes across as gorgeously elegant and sublime because of its combination of delicacy, power, and depth. Beautiful raspberry, black cherry, currant, graphite, and scorched earth notes are subtle, but provocative. In the mouth, there is good acidity, medium body, ripe tannin, and terrific length. This is a beauty of haute couture from Pessac-Leognan. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035.
(4/ 2008)
95
points
Wine Spectator
Dark purple in color. Offers pure fruit, with crushed raspberry, blackberry and dried flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins that touch every inch of the palate. Long and racy, with elegance and beauty harking back to bygone days. Best after 2015.
(3/ 2008)
94
points
Wine Enthusiast
An impressively structured wine from an estate that is at the forefront of quality in Pessac-Léognan. It is balanced, a rich rounded wine, with considerable depths of black fruits, dark tannins and power.
(6/ 2008)
92
points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Good bright medium ruby. Deep aromas of plum, currant, tobacco, mocha and menthol. Superripe and rich but with superb ripe acidity and firm tannins currently keeping the fruit and mineral elements under wraps. Just this side of severe today: here's a 2005 that appears already to have shut down in the bottle. Best today on the back end, where the wine really spreads out horizontally to saturate the palate. I'd give it a good 12 years of aging; it should be very long-lived. Classy, sharply chiseled Haut-Bailly with noteworthy elegance.
(6/ 2008)
K&L Notes
58% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot and 6% cabernet franc. Super sweet blackberry aromas. Tons of ripe fruit on the palate. Silky also and fruit covers ample tannins. Great balance and lingering finish. One of the best from an area that suffered from the lack of moisture. Buy this. ** (Clyde Beffa, K&L Bordeaux buyer)