Haut Bailly 2005

Pessac-Leognan, Grand Cru Classé

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Tasting Notes
The 2005 Haut Bailly is rapidly turning into a glorious wine. You instantly fall in love with the purity on the nose, luscious red cherries, wild strawberry and blueberry. This is still youthful and beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a structured opening like many in this vintage. It exerts a gentle grip in the mouth, quite tensile and linear and perhaps just tightening up a tad toward the finish. It is biding its time, but it will repay those who cellar this outstanding 2005 for another four or five years. Score: 95 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2022-2050 28 July 2017
The 2005 Château Haut-Bailly is going to a be an awesome wine. Note the future tense. Deep in color, the nose is tightly coiled with blackberry, cedar and graphite aromas, not unlike a Pauillac in style. There is wonderful definition here, real intensity and drive. The palate is structured and perhaps less opulent than other recent vintages of Haut-Bailly, though it still articulates its origins - that Pessac-Léognan gravelly tincture coming through, especially with aeration. There is density here, authority even, but the fireworks are set to ignite in 5-7 years' time. I cannot wait to watch the pyrotechnics. Tasted December 2015. Score: 95 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2045 01 July 2016
The 2005 Haut-Bailly, is dense purple with loads of graphite, earth, spice, blackberry and blueberry fruit, beautiful balance, medium to full body, and stunning purity, texture and length. Still incredibly young at age 10, this wine is set for 30 or more years of longevity. This is a great, great Haut-Bailly that will one day probably rival 2009 and 2010. (96+ Points) Score: 96 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2045 01 June 2015
We then moved onto a fabulous series from Haut-Bailly. The 2006 is somewhat of a sleeper of the vintage, but the 2005 is really the first true great wine Robert Wilmers and Véronique Sanders crafted after Wilmers' acquisition of the property. A stunningly young wine with notes of subtle barbecue smoke, blackcurrant, lead pencil shavings and very intense flavors, at the same time, the wine is still medium-bodied, elegant, focused and complex. This wine is still an infant, but with extraordinary potential for 50 or more years of evolution. Score: 98 Robert Parker, Hedonists Gazette, robertparker.com 01 June 2014
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. Score: 95 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2035 30 April 2008
Kudos to Veronique Sanders, the former proprietor’s granddaughter, and the new American ownership led by Robert Wilmers, for fashioning the finest Haut-Bailly in nearly half a century. While this will never be one of the densest clarets, the 2005 possesses exceptional concentration along with beautiful smoky graphite, raspberry, and black cherry characteristics in its stunning aromatics, a medium-bodied, gloriously concentrated palate profile, good acidity, and sweet tannin. Gorgeous elegance and finesse along with significant concentration and intensity suggest this beauty will be at its finest between 2013-2030+. Score: 93 - 95 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2013-2030 30 April 2007
This is the finest Haut-Bailly I have ever tasted, although I suppose the 1900 or 1928 may have possessed similar qualities at the same age. Quintessentially elegant and rich, with surreal lightness and delicacy, it displays an inky/ruby color and beautiful aromas of sweet raspberries, black currants, flowers, graphite, and minerals. Medium-bodied and stunningly concentrated with moderately high but sweet tannin, this modern day legend represents a new reference point for this estate (now American-owned). Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030. Score: 93 - 95 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 30 April 2006
Sappy, savoury, essence of Graves (Pessac-Léognan). Lively mouthful of fresh, not overripe, fruit that spreads seductively across the palate – not especially complex but with good sandy tannins underneath. Very supple and more-ish. Drink me, says this wine. Score: 17 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2013-27 10 April 2006
Gorgeous blackberry and chocolate aromas with hints of spice. Focused and refined nose. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish. Lovely fruit. This is up there with the 2000. Score: 92 - 94 James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2006
The charming Veronique Sanders has engaged Jean-Bernard Delmas of Haut Brion as consultant winemaker. We had heard very good things about this fine property prior to our tastings and we were seriously impressed. The 2005 is a stunning effort with pure fruit, typical minerally Graves character, and an exceptionally supple and lovely texture and length. Score: - Albany Vintners, - 01 April 2006

Tasting Notes

The 2005 Haut Bailly is rapidly turning into a glorious wine. You instantly fall in love with the purity on the nose, luscious red cherries, wild strawberry and blueberry. This is still youthful and beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a structured opening like many in this vintage. It exerts a gentle grip in the mouth, quite tensile and linear and perhaps just tightening up a tad toward the finish. It is biding its time, but it will repay those who cellar this outstanding 2005 for another four or five years.

Score: 95

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2022-2050 28 July 2017

The 2005 Château Haut-Bailly is going to a be an awesome wine. Note the future tense. Deep in color, the nose is tightly coiled with blackberry, cedar and graphite aromas, not unlike a Pauillac in style. There is wonderful definition here, real intensity and drive. The palate is structured and perhaps less opulent than other recent vintages of Haut-Bailly, though it still articulates its origins - that Pessac-Léognan gravelly tincture coming through, especially with aeration. There is density here, authority even, but the fireworks are set to ignite in 5-7 years' time. I cannot wait to watch the pyrotechnics. Tasted December 2015.

Score: 95

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2045 01 July 2016

The 2005 Haut-Bailly, is dense purple with loads of graphite, earth, spice, blackberry and blueberry fruit, beautiful balance, medium to full body, and stunning purity, texture and length. Still incredibly young at age 10, this wine is set for 30 or more years of longevity. This is a great, great Haut-Bailly that will one day probably rival 2009 and 2010. (96+ Points)

Score: 96

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2045 01 June 2015

We then moved onto a fabulous series from Haut-Bailly. The 2006 is somewhat of a sleeper of the vintage, but the 2005 is really the first true great wine Robert Wilmers and Véronique Sanders crafted after Wilmers' acquisition of the property. A stunningly young wine with notes of subtle barbecue smoke, blackcurrant, lead pencil shavings and very intense flavors, at the same time, the wine is still medium-bodied, elegant, focused and complex. This wine is still an infant, but with extraordinary potential for 50 or more years of evolution.

Score: 98

Robert Parker, Hedonists Gazette, robertparker.com 01 June 2014

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.

Score: 95

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2035 30 April 2008

Kudos to Veronique Sanders, the former proprietor’s granddaughter, and the new American ownership led by Robert Wilmers, for fashioning the finest Haut-Bailly in nearly half a century. While this will never be one of the densest clarets, the 2005 possesses exceptional concentration along with beautiful smoky graphite, raspberry, and black cherry characteristics in its stunning aromatics, a medium-bodied, gloriously concentrated palate profile, good acidity, and sweet tannin. Gorgeous elegance and finesse along with significant concentration and intensity suggest this beauty will be at its finest between 2013-2030+.

Score: 93 - 95

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2013-2030 30 April 2007

This is the finest Haut-Bailly I have ever tasted, although I suppose the 1900 or 1928 may have possessed similar qualities at the same age. Quintessentially elegant and rich, with surreal lightness and delicacy, it displays an inky/ruby color and beautiful aromas of sweet raspberries, black currants, flowers, graphite, and minerals. Medium-bodied and stunningly concentrated with moderately high but sweet tannin, this modern day legend represents a new reference point for this estate (now American-owned). Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.

Score: 93 - 95

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 30 April 2006

Sappy, savoury, essence of Graves (Pessac-Léognan). Lively mouthful of fresh, not overripe, fruit that spreads seductively across the palate – not especially complex but with good sandy tannins underneath. Very supple and more-ish. Drink me, says this wine.

Score: 17

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2013-27 10 April 2006

Gorgeous blackberry and chocolate aromas with hints of spice. Focused and refined nose. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish. Lovely fruit. This is up there with the 2000.

Score: 92 - 94

James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2006

The charming Veronique Sanders has engaged Jean-Bernard Delmas of Haut Brion as consultant winemaker. We had heard very good things about this fine property prior to our tastings and we were seriously impressed. The 2005 is a stunning effort with pure fruit, typical minerally Graves character, and an exceptionally supple and lovely texture and length.

Score: -

Albany Vintners, - 01 April 2006

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