Pessac-Léognan 1998

The 1998 Pessac-Léognan harvest was one of the finest of its decade for the appellation, producing wines of genuine power and structured complexity that have continued to improve with extended cellaring. Château Haut-Bailly’s 1998 earned 16.5/20 from Jancis Robinson MW, who found it very sweet, concentrated and dense with impressive depth throughout, and 91/100 from Neal Martin, who tasted it at the estate and described it as a wine that exploits what was a fine vintage in Pessac-Léognan, with a simmering, powerful bouquet of smoke, truffle and red berry fruit, and a fresh, long, harmonious finish. Haut-Bailly is one of Pessac-Léognan’s most celebrated Grand Cru Classé estates, its 28 hectares on a high gravel ridge at the helm of the Wilmers family since 1998. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.