2000 Haut Bailly for Easter dinner

[RPCV]

Opened and left in the cellar for 4 hours and then decanted and served. I was wary of this wine as some 2000’s have been tight and unyielding.

Served with lamb shanks, stone ground parmesan polenta and balsamic-roasted brussel sprouts. Indeed, a very nice pairing.

Nice ruby core. Looks primary but does have a slight bricked rim. Aromas of dark fruits, tobacco leaf, leather, dust and gravel. Taste follows the nose of dark fruits and tobacco with a nice bead of acidity to stretch things out on the finish. A generous wine with very fine tannins and length. Drinking beautifully and then…..mid-way through the second glass it tightened up. These 2000’s are still an enigma to me. The tannins were fine, but the finish was clipped and the nose went into a shell. Still a teenager searching for the proper drinking window.

I’ve got a few more of these and will Andouze the next one for 8-10 hours to see if that helps consistency in performance throught the bottle's consumption. A solid 4-star effort and very true to its Graves heritage.

[stefan]

Most of the 2000s I have drunk recently are in their "plateau of maturity", but none have peaked. Saturday night we drank 2000 Clerc-Milon, which went well with a pot roast. Having said that, I'll add that it was not as forward or as good as the 1996 Ducru-Beaucaillou that preceded it.

[JimHow]

I hear you on the 2000 vintage, RP, I haven’t had many in recent years but it is a vintage that has yet to achieve the greatness once predicted of it as far as I can tell. But… maybe still too premature to make any final conclusions.

[Comte Flaneur]

Last time I had this wine was in August in London when Joel was here.

It was brilliant - I don’t remember it tightening up but I do remember it running rings around a by comparison out of sorts 2005 Haut-Bailly - iirc I gave the 2000 94 pts

[JimHow]

The 2014 La Gaffeliere was lovely with Easter lamb yesterday, the 2012 Jadot Clos du Ursules was the usual tannic pain, does that wine ever come around? We also had a nice 2022 Servin Chablis and the old mainstay, Felsina Chianti, from 2020.

[JCNorthway]

I have not had many bottles of 2000 Bordeaux, but the one that I thought was really singing was the Leoville Poyferre.

Jim, agree on the 2020 Felsina. I am well into my second case.

[JimHow]

Those $20 basic Berardenga chiantis from Felsina are about as good a QPR as you'll find out there, Jon.