1999 Haut Bailly
By Chateau Haut Bailly
1999 Haut Bailly from Chateau Haut Bailly, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
The millennium's eve was a particularly auspicious moment for vintners across Bordeaux, and the 1999 Haut Bailly from Chateau Haut Bailly holds a distinguished position among its peers. This vintage stands out as a testament to the vintner's métier, embodying an articulation of complexity and finesse that is increasingly sought after by fine wine investors.
A Vintage Graced by Nature's Hand
The climatic conditions of the 1999 season in Pessac-Leognan offered a fine balance between sunny days and the requisite showers, allowing grapes to achieve optimal ripeness while preserving their vital acidity. Such harmony in the weather patterns resulted in a nuanced bounty for Chateau Haut Bailly, fostering a vintage with affable tannins and gratifying longevity. Consequently, the 1999 Haut Bailly mirrors this balance, offering whispers of graphite mingled with generous dark fruit notes upon the first uncorking.
Investment Merits of the 1999 Vintage
In terms of investment potential, there is a marked propensity amongst connoisseurs to pivot towards this mature yet vivacious vintage. The 1999 Haut Bailly is notable for its swift ascent in desirability and value, attributing to structured liquidity in the fine wine market. For appreciators not just of flavor but fiscal appreciation, this is a bottle that invariably deserves consideration for any discerning portfolio.
The wine's dignity is enunciated through velvety layers of blackcurrant and tobacco leaf, harmoniously woven into the firm skeleton that typifies Chateau Haut Bailly's striking oeuvre. A gentle decantation reveals an expanding aromatic suite; hints of truffle and moist earth emerge alongside subtler intimations of cedar wood.
The 1999 Haut Bailly from Chateau Haut Bailly remains one of the more compelling narratives from Pessac-Leognan's storied terrain. It speaks of both a season blessed by climatic fortune and the cogent translation of terroir by those who steward its vines. As years progress, this vintage continues to unfold its pages - each chapter more engrossing than the last - securing its status as an intelligent acquisition for collectors and sincere delight for oenophiles.
Market price (GBP)
£860.00
12x75cl
Highest score
91
POP score
78.18
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted at the 1999 horizontal at Bordeaux Index. The Haut-Bailly has a very ripe, generous nose with rounded raspberry, wild strawberry, a hint of acacia and white flowers. Great lift and expression. With aeration it develops a lovely candied quality that is irresistible. The palate is medium-bodied, supple with rounded, fleshy tannins, layers of ripe red-berried fruit with excellent acidity and definition. Satiates the palate, superb length. A top quality Haut-Bailly in a difficult vintage. Excellent. Drink now-2020. Tasted June 2009.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jul 2009
This wine is light to medium-bodied, with sweet currant and smoke-infused flavors and some oak in the background, but plenty of red fruits, vanilla, and dried herbs. This is a soft, well-balanced wine to drink now and over the next 12-15 years.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #140 April 2002