Farr Vintners Logo

Haut Bailly 2003

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Haut-Bailly

Label

Tasting Notes

I remember being worried about how well the 2003 Haut-Bailly would turn out, but it has aged beautifully. Made from a final blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, it currently offers fresh tobacco leaf, red and black currant notes, and hints of burning embers and charcoal. Having put on weight over the last eleven years, it is more complete and fuller than I expected. Enjoy this pretty, luscious, fully mature 2003 over the next decade. Drink 2014-2024

91
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (214), August 2014

The 2003 Haut-Bailly feels a little fatigued on the nose, missing the fruit intensity of other vintages. Black plum and camphor scents almost reluctantly develop. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannin, leathery and lightly spiced, fully mature with some attenuation on the slightly meaty finish. Drink soon. Tasted at the Haut-Bailly vertical at the château. Drink 2021-2025.

86
Neal Martin, vinous.com, April 2022
85/88
James Suckling, Wine Spectator (April 04), April 2004
16
Michael Schuster, The World of Fine Wine (1), April 2004
Read more tasting notes...

One can not say enough about the investments and commitment to quality instituted by Haut-Bailly’s new American owner, Robert Wilmers, the head of the huge M&T bank conglomerate. The chateau’s entire staff, headed by the talented Veronique Sanders (the granddaughter of one of the great gentlemen of Bordeaux, Daniel Sanders), reflects both enthusiasm and dedication. Powerful, fruit-driven, and big, the 2003 exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with a sweet perfume of lead pencil shavings intermixed with red and black currants, cherries, and forest floor. Boasting beautiful purity, medium to full body, and admirable glycerin as well as textural weight, it is an elegant, classic Bordeaux to drink between 2008-2020+.

90
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

Deep ruby/purple with a wonderful nose of roasted herbs and scorched earth, this wine has sweet cherry and black currant fruit notes along with hints of graphite and toasty oak. While pure, rich, and more powerful than usual, it remains elegant and precise, characteristics of this stylish wine. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2023.

This property is making impressive wines under the new administration of American Robert Wilmers backed up by his winemaking team led by Veronique Sanders. I have consistently had a tendency to underrate the wines 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, adding to my belief that I consistently underestimate these wines.

90/92
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (158), April 2005

I had varying tasting experiences with this cuvee, but at its finest (which it was in 2 of 3 tastings), it is a pretty, deep ruby/purple-tinged effort with racy, noble, restrained aromas of sweet cherries, black currants, damp earth, and new wood. Medium-bodied, with spicy oak, low acidity, and clean, refreshing fruit, it should drink well in 2-3 years, and last for 12-14.

87/89
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (152), April 2004
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.