The 2000 Bahans Haut-Brion is fully mature, but I had indicated that back in 2003, giving it an anticipated maturity date of 2005-2016. Its smoky, soft berry fruit and notes of fresh porcini mushrooms intermixed with cigar tobacco and black currants are complex. This complexity is followed by a fleshy, elegant, silky wine to drink over the next 5-6 years.
Haut-Brion can be among the trickiest Bordeaux to taste young, often needing a full decade before the extraordinary complexity that marks this terroir begins to emerge. I was thrilled to see how well both the second wine, Bahans Haut-Brion, and Haut-Brion performed in this tasting, and both scores are slight upgrades.
The dark ruby/purple-colored, deep, rich, medium-bodied 2000 Bahans Haut-Brion exhibits scents of graphite, black cherry liqueur, cassis, and minerals. This second wine has a lot in common with the bigger sibling, displaying impressive volume, depth, and complexity. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2016. Last tasted, 1/03.
The dark ruby/purple-colored, deep, rich, medium-bodied 2000 Bahans Haut-Brion exhibits scents of graphite, black cherry liqueur, cassis, and minerals. This second wine has a lot in common with its bigger sibling, displaying impressive volume, depth, and complexity. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2016.
The deep, rich, medium-bodied 2000 Bahans-Haut-Brion exhibits scents of graphite, black cherry liqueur, cassis, and minerals. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2016.
Consistently one of my favorite second wines is Bahans-Haut-Brion. The 2000 offers a tangy, ripe, red and black currant-scented perfume with earth and lead pencil notes in the background. It possesses elegance, purity, a round, medium-bodied, sweet attack, fine balance, and a nicely-knit finish. This wine should drink well for 10-12 years, possibly longer.
