Haut Bailly - Pessac-Léognan 2008

Jeb DUNNUCK

94

byJeb Dunnuckthe10/19/2023

Fully mature, yet still pure and layered, with plenty of vibrancy, the 2008 Château Haut-Bailly has quintessential Haut-Bailly sweet darker berries, smoked tobacco, minty herbs, and floral aromas and flavors. These carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied, has firmer, focusing tannins, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. This is a more austere, focused style from the estate that has a classic, age-worthy style. It should hold nicely going forward and, I suspect, have another 10-15 years of prime drinking, with a gradual decline thereafter.

Decanter.com

94

byJane Ansonthe7/30/2020

Beautifully balanced and concentrated, with Cabernet Sauvignon dominant in the fruit expression in terms of the controlled, elegant, savoury and totally moreish blackberry and cassis fruits. This remains extremely young, closed in on itself, not quite ready to reveal all its facets, but has the grip that suggests just how good this wine is, finishing up with layers of plum, slate and liquorice. Particularly late harvest in 2008 right through to October 23 (beginning September 25), one of the latest on record, and the latest of the decade. Highlights how sure and confident was the winemaking at Haut-Bailly ten years on from Bob Wilmers arrival.

Drinking Window 2020 - 2040

Wine Advocate

96

byRobert Parkerthe5/31/2011

A candidate for the -wine of the vintage,- the 2008 Haut-Bailly possesses incredible complexity. Tell-tale notes of lead pencil shavings, charcoal, damp earth, black cherries and black currants intermixed with a hint of subtle barbecue smoke are present in this classic, quintessential Graves. Medium-bodied with an emerging, precocious complexity, it is a super-pure, beautifully textured, long wine that can be drunk now or cellared for 20-25 years. Bravo!

Wine Spectator

90

byJames Molesworththe12/15/2010

Racy and slightly taut, with red currant and cherry pit notes laced with grilled herb and warm stone. There's a sinewy edge on the finish, with more minerality than fruit for now, but this adds some flesh as it airs, showing subtle persistence. Drink now through 2016.-J.M

Falstaff

88-90

byPeter Moserthe6/30/2009

Dunkles Rubingranat, jugendliche, Reflexe, zarter Wasserrand. In der Nase dunkler Nougat, schwarzes Beerenkonfit, rauchig-animalische Nuancen. Am Gaumen kompakt, seriöse Textur, feste, süße Tannine, dunkle Beeren, mineralischer Touch im Abgang hat gutes Entwicklungspotenzial.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89-92

byStephen Tanzerthe5/28/2009

Ruby-red. Enticing delicate aromas of fresh flowers, strawberry, ripe red cherry and a hint of minerals. Juicy and light on entry, then complex and graceful in the middle, with plenty of mouthwatering strawberry and blackcurrant flavors accented by graphite and minerals. Very well balanced on the long, satiny finish, this is as far removed from the blockbuster Napa Valley cabernet-merlot stereotype as a Bordeaux wine can be, and should make beautiful drinking in the near term. But my experience with Haut-Bailly is that it always seems light when young (sometimes too light), only to pick up considerable flesh and volume with age, so my guess is that it will still be splendid 25 years after the vintage.

WeinWisser

18

byRené Gabrielthe5/6/2009

Mittleres Rubin-Granat. Delikates, fast mild wirkendes Bouquet, Brombeerblüten, feines Cassis, diskreter Ansatz. Leichter, sehr eleganter Gaumen, seidige Tannine, gut stützendes Holz mit Kokoszitaten, verlangende Adstringenz, mehlige Konturen, mittleres Finale. Finessenreicher Wein, den man nicht unterschätzen sollte. 2016 – 2030

Wine Advocate

95-97

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2009

The 2008 exhibits superb minerality as well as the delicacy of a great culinary preparation, packed and stacked with flavor, yet light on its feet. The 2008 will compete, perhaps eclipse the sensational 2005 and 2006. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by notes of charcoal, graphite, black currants, sweet cherries, spice box, and subtle earth. The wine possesses super purity, a medium to full-bodied, gorgeous texture, ripe, sweet tannins, and a layered mouthfeel. The acidity provides freshness, vibrancy, and delineation to all the component parts of this very concentrated yet quintessentially elegant wine. It is a sensational effort that should begin showing secondary nuances of complexity in 8-10 years, and evolve for three decades or more.

TAST

17

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/23/2009

Nez de pruneau comme souvent dans le millésime, beaucoup d’ampleur et de chair, tanin noble, encore un peu accrocheur, peut-être un peu moins avancé que certains pairs, mais d’une égale vinosité et parfaitement en phase avec le millésime !

Wine Advocate

90-92

byNeal Martinthe4/22/2009

This has a lovely ripe nose of blackberry, boysenberry, earth and a touch of wild mint. Very good definition. The palate has firm tannins, well-integrated oak, very focused and superb freshness. Much more structure than I was anticipating, this could be a long-term Haut-Bailly although at the moment it is very tannic on the finish. Not an Haut-Bailly that is expressive at primeur, but one that should blossom by bottling. Tasted April 2009.

Jancis Robinson

17

byJancis Robinsonthe4/21/2009

Rather pale rim. Interesting savour. Well balanced. Very harmonious and polished with lots of ripe fruit and the (considerable) tannins well hidden. Glossy stuff. What’s not to like? Though it’s not a blockbuster. Drink 2013-22

Decanter Magazine

17.50

bySteven Spurrierthe4/15/2009

Deep purple-red, elegant crushed berry fruits nose already showing complexity, clear Cabernet fruit on the palate with linear precision, fine depth of fruit blending suppleness and firmness with complete vineyard ripeness. Drink 2015-30.