96
JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2012 Haut Bailly is brilliant and does nothing to damper my belief that this vintage is underrated in the market. Offering up a classic bouquet of tobacco leaf, cigar wrapper, blackcurrants, lead pencil, and graphite, this beauty is full-bodied, has terrific concentration, integrated acidity and plenty of fine tannins. While it starts out up front and seemingly ready to go, it tightens up with time in the glass and is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and drink nicely for two decades. It’s a sensational wine you won’t regret having in your cellar."
95
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Just a super wine, 3 hours of air brought out all its plushly textured plums and blackberries. The smoky essence, with its earthy accents only added to the fun. Full bodied, with round, soft tannins, this is probably the best value for Haut Bailly in the marketplace today. Tasted twice over a 2 week period, once at the estate, and then again ordered off a restaurant menu, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot tasted and felt great!"
94
THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2012 Haut Bailly is a brilliant wine for the vintage. It has a very intense bouquet with scents of blackberry, bilberry, cedar and a touch of pencil lead. This is very well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin, certainly one of the most structured Pessac-LĂ©ognan wines that I have encountered, yet it is struck through with wonderful balance and focus. It tightens up a little on the finish, a 2012 built for long-term drinking pleasure, and as such, I would afford it five or six more years in bottle if wishing to experience this in full flight."
94
JAMES SUCKLING: "This red shows intense blackberries, raspberries and strawberries on the nose, following through to a full body with refined yet firm tannins, fresh acidity and a delicate finish. The purity of fruit and finesse and texture of the tannins are all fantastic."
18
WEINWISSER: "56 % Merlot, 40 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 4 % Cabernet Franc. Tiefes Purpur, satt in der Mitte, Granatschimmer am Rand. Grossartiges Bouquet, reife Kirschen, Kaffeenoten, Edelhölzer, dunkle Rosen, eine schöne Fruchtsüsse anzeigend, mineralisch. Delikater Gaumen, schon fast tänzerisch, kleine rote Beeren, die Tannine zeigen jetzt feine Muskeln, wirkt auf den ersten Blick nicht besonders tief, das mag auch an seinen grundlegenden burgundischen Anlagen liegen. Ein ernst zu nehmender Haut-Bailly, der dazu neigt, eventuell unterschätzt zu werden. Gewisse Parallelen zum 2005er sind vorhanden."
94
WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Very firm and closed up, this wine is a tough proposition at the moment. It has the weight to develop well along with richness. Acidity, sweet fruits and concentrated tannins will all come through strongly as the wine matures. Drink from 2020."
93
WINE SPECTATOR: " Well-stuffed, with thick and muscular brambly structure that easily supports the core of macerated black currant, fig and boysenberry fruit flavors. A tarry edge coats the finish. More backwards than most of its peers at this early stage, but all the elements are in place. Best from 2018 through 2027. 6,665 cases made."