The 2006 Haut-Bailly has been uncorked....

[JimHow]

Initial impressions of this wine are that it is stunning.

Is HWRN right, is 2006 an underrated vintage?

[RDD]

Enjoy!
Off to bed myself. Up at 4:00AM.

[JimHow]

Have fun tomorrow Robert....

So... I think we all agree, 2006 is significantly better than 2004, not much doubt about that, wouldn't you say?

[Houndsong]

The 04s I've had are pretty good. Signficantly better would be approaching the level of "wine of the lifetime of the Gods whose lifetime has no measure." So WTF?

[JimHow]

The reason why I said that was that this 2006 Haut-Bailly seems significantly better than its 2004 counterpart.

The 2006 d'Armailhac, Duhart Milon, Clerc-Milon, etc., etc., have likewise been strong....

[Chasse-Spleen]

I agree 100% - 2006 has a style, a charm, a sweet-spot that is totally lacking in 2004. I had a couple of great 2004 wines, like Clerc and La Lagune and du Tertre, but the 2006s that I've tried have just been better on average. 2006 is classic. It's a Godsend, IMO. I don't really remember HWRM (like the abbreviation!) getting actually excited about it, though. Obviously, he loves the high alcohol, motor oil textured fruit bombs, which are happily absent in 2006, so far as I've seen.

-Chasse

[robert goulet]

I had fairly good luck with the 04's and a couple duds, for example 04' alter ego is absolutely fantasic, 04' haut bailly....ahhhh not so much.

[robert goulet]

Yesterday tasted '06 chateau carbonnieux, just ok compared to '05.

[Blanquito]

My impression is that 2004 was cheaper than 2006, no?

I haven't had but a few 2006s, so I've no dog in this fight, but there are some great QPR 2004s: Lagune, d'Issan, Branaire, Malescot, and Poujeaux come to mind.

A 2004 vs 2006 tasting would be fun-- 5 well-regarded chateau from each vintage squared off in blind flights, I'm thinking.

[Chasse-Spleen]

Your spirit is well-noted Blanquito but only time will tell if there's ever a need for the words "2004" and "wine tasting" to go together in the same sentence. We so rarely have the occasion to get together - isn't there a better way to spend the time? ;0)

However I do think that something involving 2006 is in order. Hopefully we'll get to it before the 2008 vintage arrives.

-Chasse

[rjsussex]

I've been behind 06s on this board for some time - check out Dom de Chev, Gruaud, Lagrange, Durfort, Gloria, Cantemerle.

Left bank 06s seem to me to have the best qualities of 04 and 02 combined, and better than those vintages - both of which (especially 04) I like very much.

Richard

[Chasse-Spleen]

That's interesting, Richard, that you are somewhat bullish on '04, and also your concept of the '02 + '04 = '06. It does add up mathematically. I've had more wow wines from '02 than '04, and to me '02 has more of a style. I don't really see that much of a connection yet between '02 and '06. To me, '02 has more density and a slightly dryer style while '06 is more elegant with a bit more sweetness. Maybe I'll try and get hold of an '06 for tonight...

[Ramon_NYC]

I like how you put it Chasse, and I concur with your assessment. I haven't tasted many '02s since a horizontal tasting at release and maybe I should. I’d also like to add that the ’02 seem to posses just enough of that classic austerity, more than I found in the '06.

Ramon