Seductive and creamy-textured, this vintage is plush and padded, fleshy and sensual. The Haut-Bailly balance is there, along with a lot of red-fruit energy and notes of cassis, graphite, and leather,plus enough tannin and structure underneath to last and last. Robert Parker selected the wine as one of his “Magical 20”—wines with first-growth quality that aren’t technically first growths. Sanders credits the exceptional quality to perfect weather through a mid-October harvest. | 96