Château Haut-Bailly 2002

An elegant, dark ruby/purple-tinged effort displaying notes of tobacco smoke intermixed with sweet currant, cherry, and some toast, this medium-bodied wine has the hallmark purity graciously married with nicely concentrated fruit. The tannins are sweet but present and give definition to this well-made Pessac-Leognan. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016. This property is making impressive wines under the new administration of American Robert Wilmers, backed by his winemaking team led by Veronique Sanders. I have consistently tended to underrate the wines when young since they are relatively delicate, and that style hasn’t changed, but there does seem to be more mid-palate and intensity than in the past. For example, I recently had both the 1998 and 2000 Haut-Bailly, and I would have rated them 93 and 91 respectively, which is higher than I had rated them in the past, reinforcing my belief that I consistently underestimate these wines.

Plenty of blackberries and currants on the nose with hints of oak. Medium- to full-bodied, with good fruit, fine tannins and a slightly hollow midpalate. Best after 2008. 5,830 cases made.

Not the easiest vintage in Bordeaux, mainly because of a cool summer, saved by a fine, long autumn. As is often the case in a year when the summer is cooler and the harvest long, the aromatics are beautiful, spiralling up out of the glass with welcoming yet delicate violet and iris edges. Elegant and balanced, opening up to show the first traces of tertiary truffle and bracken, supremely drinkable. A great example of how this terroir and this team deliver consistently.

Mid crimson with a pale rim. Very classic, reasonably ripe nose. Lightweight with soft tannins, not the freshest fruit but a perfectly nice lunchtime claret approaching its peak. (JR)

From an assemblage of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and a dollop of Cabernet Franc, this wine is filled with black cherry, cassis, oak, smoke, tar and cranberry. Medium bodied and showing some greenness from the cool style of the vintage, this Pessac Leognan wine will not improve much with age. I’d drink it over the next decade.

The 2002 Château Haut-Bailly is actually more concentrated than the 2001 but is largely in the same elegant, medium-bodied style. Ripe red and black fruits, roasted herbs, chocolate, and tobacco all emerge on the nose, and it has solid mid-palate depth, a firm, foursquare mouthfeel, and outstanding length. It will evolve for another decade.

Dark, deep ruby-purple. Noble, classic bouquet with cedar notes and plum aromas, typical of the estate, gaining with air. On the palate, lots of suppleness, beautifully balanced, showing charm in a velvety extract, balanced astringency, long-lasting finish, black cherries, dark noble woods, once again among the very greats of the appellation.

03: Dark, deep ruby-purple. A noble, classic bouquet, typical for Haut-Bailly with cedar and plum aromas, gaining with air. On the palate, lots of suppleness and beautiful balance, charming on a velvety extract, balanced astringency, a lingering finish with black cherries and dark precious woods. Proves that Haut-Bailly is once again among the greats of the appellation. (18/20). 12: Brightening, still youthful ruby. Light tobacco on the nose, white peppercorns, slightly prickly on the nose. The fruit is still very youthful and shows primary notes, a touch of sour cherry. Slender palate with fine muscles, supportive acidity, developing only very slowly. It will probably never be truly fun, despite a certain grandeur. (18/20). 15: A double magnum at the Adler in Weil. The bouquet is brilliant, rather discreet, black pepper, earthy-iron note, fragrant leather, little drive, but for a 2002 it has remarkable depth. On the palate, elegant, showing fine breed, nicely balanced. I particularly like the gentle tannins. A few weeks earlier I had the (too) hard 2002 Haut-Brion. I like this version much better—at least for the next few years.

Deep, sweet, spicy bouquet with tobacco, cedar, currants and damsons. Dense, rustic palate with good tannins, fine fruit, tight structure, cedar notes. Long finish. 17/20 2010 - 2025

A leap in terms of colour and fruit character in the vertical to date, plumper and more primary in appearance, focused cassis and bilberry, with cold ash and mint leaf. A cooler-than-average vintage, and one that highlights the judgement always displayed at this estate, balanced and utterly moreish, waiting to be dived into and shared with friends. Harvest September 20 to October 15. First vintage of Gabriel Vialard as technical director, working alongside CEO Veronique Sanders and consultant Denis Dubourdieu. 50% new oak.

An inviting, self-assured bouquet of ripe, pure fruit with notes of cedar and cigar box, promising sweetness. The wine is elegant and fresh on the palate, with a lifting acidity that carries through to the finish.

Fortunately, Véronique Sanders opened a second bottle, as the first was corked! The 2002 deserved it, having surprised more than a few people at the time. The bouquet combines freshness, minerality and red berries, along with hints of tobacco leaves. On the palate, the wine is sleek yet linear, and perfectly supported by its tannins (which were rather tight in their youth). The first vintage vinified by the talented Gabriel Vazart.

Logo on the cork: A inside a circle (Amorim) Dark, intense color with slight evolution. Moderately aromatic nose, fruity and slightly smoky. Rounded from the attack, then very flavorful mid-palate; the wine then shows firmer tannins, even though the richness and flavor return afterward. Normal length.

2002 is one of those underappreciated vintages in Bordeaux that, with time and on great terroirs, reveals strong arguments. Here, behind the robe with mahogany highlights and the nose of small stone red fruits and floral notes, the palate proves astonishing: lively, crisp, flavorful, mouthwatering, all about juicy cherry. With its polished tannins and beautiful acidic framework, it’s a straightforward, fine wine, remarkably precise, and above all refreshing. The delicately tangy finish calls for a second glass.