The first of the 2000s

Chateau Haut Bailly, Pessac Léognan 2000 ****

With the turn of the decade I decided to plunge into my 2000s for the first time. I don’t really have a handle on the vintage as yet although I did taste a fairly comprehensive range of 2000s in the spring of 2002 including Haut Bailly. At the time I wrote‘fragrant, quite delicate, dry but very refined, not as fat or as rich as some but great finesse'. Eight years on my note is pretty consistent with this: mid-deep garnet; closed initially with an underlying cedary character emerging on the nose; firm, quite austere, typically gravelly tannins and restrained, tight-knit blackcurrant fruit, fresh expensive finish (so much fresher than the 2003s, some of which I have already broached). Good and looking better the following day – but better still with five more years in bottle.   17.5