($38-$52; roughly a 50/50 blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon) Good bright ruby-red. Deep, smoky aromas of plum syrup, raspberry, tobacco, iron and roasted nuts. Lush, silky and sweet, with insidious vinosity keeping the lush plum and tobacco flavors fresh and delineated. The suave merlot tannins spread out to cover the entire palate. Much more a merlot-dominated wine than the 2001, which is 65% cabernet sauvignon.

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Patience will be rewarded with this style of Bordeaux that typifies restraint and subtlety. The deep ruby-colored 2000 is an impressive youthful Haut-Bailly. It offers endearing notes of black cherries, raspberries, and currants mixed with tobacco smoke, soil overtones, and subtle wood. The acidity is low, the tannin is present, and the overall quality is pure and well-balanced.

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Wonderful finesse and length to this wine. Loads of plum and berry, with hints of raspberry. Full-bodied, with a solid, velvety core of ripe fruit and tannins. Long finish. One of the few Pessacs better in 2000 than 1998.

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