Learn everything about Chateau Batailley, Pauillac, Fifth Growth, with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn about the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau Batailley History, Overview
In the 1700s, the Saint-Martin family were the owners of Batailley. Chateau Batailley was well-known in those days due to its history as it was one of the older Bordeaux wine estates dating back to the 1400s. In fact, the property took its name from a famous military battle that took place in 1452, during the hundred-year war.
In 1791 Marianne and Marthe Saint-Martin sold their part of Chateau Batailley to Jean Guillaume Pecholier. In 1816 Chateau Batailley was sold to Daniel Guestier of Barton and Guestier, a famous and important Bordeaux wine negociant firm.
He acquired most of the estate and began buying more shares and land, including plots adjacent to Lynch Bages and Grand Puy Lacoste to enlarge the estate. The Guestier family was quite well-known in Bordeaux at the time, as they also owned Chateau Beychevelle by the time of the 1855 Classification of the Medoc.
Daniel Guestier renovated the Left Bank chateau and improved the Bordeaux wine-making facilities of Batailley. He died in 1847. By that time, Chateau Batailley had a good reputation. The chateau was managed by Guestier’s three children until they sold it in 1866.
It was acquired by a Parisian banker Constant Halphen. Upon Halphen’s death in 1932, the Borie family purchased the estate and continued to make the wine for another decade before the vineyard was cut in two, which as you will see, gave birth to another wine.
Chateau Batailley The Modern Era
In 1942 Chateau Batailley was divided into two separate properties that we know today: Chateau Batailley and Chateau Haut Batailley. Francois Borie kept the smaller part of the Medoc vineyard which became Chateau Haut Batailley. The larger portion, including the chateau, which was owned by Marcel Borie naturally retained the original name of Chateau Batailley.
In 1961 the estate was transferred to Marcel´s daughter Denise and her husband Emile Casteja. Their son Philippe Casteja, with the help of his son, Frederic Casteja manages Chateau Batailley today. The family also owns Chateau Lynch-Moussas, Chateau Trottevieille, and other Bordeaux estates as well as a massive Negociant company, Borie-Manoux, which dates back to 1870, when it was founded by Pierre Borie.
In 2006 Chateau Batailley renovated and modernized its vat rooms and winemaking facilities.
The best vintages of Chateau Batailley are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2000 and 1929. Older vintages could be good, it’s worth looking for in the auction market today. Though it is important to note that starting with 2016, with another big jump in quality, Batailley is making the best wines in the history of the estate.
Chateau Batailley Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 60 hectare Bordeaux vineyard of Chateau Batailley is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This shows a slight decrease in the Cabernet Sauvignon and a moderate increase in the amount of Merlot in the vineyard. However, today, the plans here are to once again, add more Cabernet Sauvignon to the vineyard.
The vineyard, which is divided into 4 main blocks, can be further subdivided into 60 separate parcels. The vineyard has a terroir of gravel, clay, and sandy soils. There is more clay and sandstone below the surface.
Located inland, off the D1, the vineyard is close to the southern end of Pauillac. The majority of the vineyard is close to and in front of the chateau, not far from the D1. The vineyards have good elevations, with much of the land rising up to 27 meters at its high points. It is at the peak elevation where you find their best terroir.
On average, the vines are 40 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 8,000 vines per hectare. The estate is currently experimenting with biodynamic farming techniques on a 5-hectare parcel of vines.
To produce the wine of Chateau Batailley, vinification takes place in a total of 60, temperature-controlled stainless steel vats that vary in size from 110 hectoliters to 130 hectoliters.
The vats do not vary much in size, as the majority of parcels are quite similar in size at close to 1 hectare per parcel. The 60 vats correspond directly to the number of parcels in the vines allowing for precision fermentations. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat.
On average, the wine is aged in 55% new, French oak barrels for between 16 to 18 months, depending on the vintage. In 2015, Chateau Batailley introduced a second wine, Lions de Batailley. There is also a third wine, Pauillac de Batailley. On average, close to 25,000 cases of wine are produced at Chateau Batailley each year.
When to Drink Chateau Batailley, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Batailley can be enjoyed on the young side with a few hours of air. But I find it too tannic to enjoy without cellaring. I find that the wine is usually better at 8-12 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character.
In the best vintages, the wine will be at its best when it reached peak maturity between 10-25 years of age after the vintage. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-3 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Serving Chateau Batailley with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Chateau Batailley is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Batailley is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Batailley is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, and a myriad of hard and soft cheeses.
Château Batailley Wine Tasting Notes
32 Vintages 231,823 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2023
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Soft, round, ripe, creamy, vibrant, black, and red fruits are all over the place here, in the nose, and on the palate. The wine has character, soft, creamy tannins, and the ability to be enjoyed in its youth, but as it ages as well. The wine is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. 13.7% ABV. 93-95 Pts. 3,945 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2023
Lions de Batailley (Pauillac)
Supple, soft, round, and creamy, the wine is packed with dark, red berries that offer lift, sweetness, character, and drinkability. The wine blends 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2026-2034. 89-91 Pts 710 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2023
Château Batailley de Batailley (Pauillac)
Forward, soft, round, and fruity, with a core of ready-to-go currants, and cherries. This charmer will be perfect on release. Pauillac de Batailley is the 3rd wine of Batailley. Drink from 2026-2032. 87-89 Pts. 829 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2022
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Licorice, flowers, mint, peach, currants, blackberries, tobacco and wet forest floor aromatics create the nose. The palate is rich, supple, creamy, fresh, and loaded with sweet, blackberries, white pepper, plums, currants and spice. The wine is full-bodied, round, and concentrated, with a long endnote leaving you with peppery licorice, spearmint, and creme de cassis on the backend. The wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. 14.20% ABV. 3.7 pH. The harvest took place September 8 - September 27. Yields were 42 Hectoliters per hectare. 70% of the harvest was used to produce the Grand Vin. Drink from 2027-2055. 95-97 Pts. 5,245 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2021
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Flowers, spice, espresso, black currants, black cherries and smoke pop in the nose. The palate is soft, polished, fresh and approachable. The fruits are sweet, creamy and long, with a refreshing mint and chocolate note that finds its way into the back of the finish. There is a lot of charm as well as freshness here. The wine blends 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2050. 1,418 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024Medium-bodied, soft, elegant, fresh and chalky with nuances of chalk, tobacco leaf, forest floor, and red with black currants. The wine is soft and creamy with a nice sweetness on the elegantly-styled palate, there is a lot of charm as well as freshness here. The wine blends 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. It is interesting to note that Batailley was the first major wine released from the 2021 vintage, and it was priced the same as the 2020 vintage. Time will tell if this was a good strategy or not. Drink from 2026-2049. 92-94 2,671 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2021
Lions de Batailley (Pauillac)
Fresh, forward, peppery red fruits with a soft-edge and a medium-bodied creamy character which is perfect for early drinking, ready-to-go charming pleasure. Drink from 2023-2029. 86-88 1,032 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2020
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Sporting a deep hue, the wine pops with its display of black currants, blackberries, espresso, cedar, cigar wrapper and mint leaf. The wine is full-bodied, round, and concentrated, with layers of ripe, polished, dark red pit fruits and berries, creamy tannins, and vibrancy, all of which make you go back for sip after sip. Drink from 2027-2055. 6,412 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023Deep in color, the wine opens quickly with aromas of tobacco leaf, spicy currants, cedar, flowers, cigar box and blackberries. Full-bodied, round, concentrated and with ripe, polished, creamy tannins, the wine finishes with spicy, red berries, savory herbs and a refreshing spearmint note. Give this at least 8 years in the cellar and enjoy it over the following 2-3 decades. 93-95 Pts 3,915 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2020
Lions de Batailley (Pauillac)
Soft, creamy, forward, and fruity, this will be delicious on release with its sweet, licorice, and blackberry character. Drink from 2025-2032. 1,354 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2023Medium bodied, fresh, forward, sweet and fruity with an easy to like cassis filled character, this will be nice to enjoy on release while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. 87-89 Pts 1,089 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2019
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Fresh, bright, crisp, vibrant and polished, the wine is packed with ripe, sweet, juicy, creme de cassis, blackberries, tobacco leaf, cigar box and leafy herbs. Medium/full-bodied, lifted, vibrant, refined and chewy, the red berry finish builds and lingers with its freshness, spicy, peppery tones and ripe tannins. As good as this is now, if you age it for a few years, it is going to be an even better experience. Drink from 2027-2055. 5,924 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022Cassis, vanilla, cigar smoke, tobacco and forest leaf scents kick off the perfume. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated and tannic. The tannins are ripe, round and refined, allowing the wine to build and expand while it lingers. If it continues to develop along these lines, it will prove to be an even better wine, deserving a higher score. The wine was made from blending 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. 94-96 Pts 13,271 Views Tasted Jun 8, 2020 |
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2018
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Chewy, crisp, fresh and lively in character, the wine is packed with herbs, tobacco leaf, dark currants, espresso and cedar. More savory than sweet, with a noticeable, classic crunchy character on the palate, the finish really lingers. Nearly forward in style, this is a charming Pauillac that will age for at least 2-3 decades with little effort. 4,961 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021The crème de cassis is strong here and it's the perfect match for the full-bodied, ripe, round, dark, fresh, spicy red berry palate. The tannins are powerful, yet refined, which is perfect for all that juicy, peppery fruit in the finish. If you can wait and give this wine 7-9 years or more before popping a cork, you will experience all of its true Pauillac character. The wine was made from blending 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, reaching 13.5% ABV. 92-94 Pts 3,970 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2018
Lions de Batailley (Pauillac)
A medium-bodied, ripe, round, forward, soft, early drinker with ripe cassis, cherries and a bit of firmness in the finish. 87-89 Pts 2,439 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2017
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Floral, crisp, and fresh, with a touch of spearmint that sits on top of the red currants, and cherries. The wine is medium-bodied, open, bright, and almost vibrant on the palate and in the finish. Drink from 2024-2042. 3,342 Views Tasted Oct 4, 2023Cigar box, tobacco, crème de cassis and forestry create the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine offers soft, polished, dark red fruits, spice, blackberry and tobacco. Nearly forward in style, this is a charming Pauillac that will age for at least 2 decades with little effort. The wine was made from blending 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, reaching 13.6% ABV. 6,635 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
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2017
Lions de Batailley (Pauillac)
Medium bodied, open, soft, early drinker, with ripe black currants, herbs and tobacco from start to finish. 1,733 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
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2016
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
If you like, and coax the glass just a but you can find cigar box, tobacco, truffle, smoke and blackberries. The wine is medium/full bodied with round tannins and a crispy bite of cassis in the almost creamy finish. Give the wine 7-10 years in the cellar for the Pauillac firmness to subside and ennjoy it over the following 2 decades or more. The wine was made from a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. 6,974 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019Classic in nature, the cassis has a crispness to its that character you can bite into. Full-bodied, with sweetness to the fruits, freshness, you can easily find nuances of tobacco, cigar wrapper, cedarwood and hints of black pepper. The tannins are ripe and the structure is here for long-term aging potential. 5,928 Views Tasted May 13, 2018Cassis and blackberries, creamy tannins, juicy, fresh berries, medium/full bodied with a blast of sweet, black currants in the finish, the wine has freshness, fruit and length and could be the best vintage in the history of the estate. Made from a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, this wine reached 13.5% ABV. The Grand Vin represents 70% of the harvest. The picking took place from October 3 to October 10. This is one of the latest harvests in the history of the property. 5,995 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2015
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Tasty style of Pauillac, with soft tannins, concentration, dark red fruits and a blast of juicy, ripe, cassis, tobacco and very dark chocolate on the palate. This wine has freshness, with traditional Pauillac character. Give it 6-8 years in the cellar before popping a cork. 5,477 Views Tasted May 21, 2018In the middle or at the top of my initial score range is where this is going to end up. The quality of the cassis is strong on this one. Full bodied, fresh and earthy, and already with a cigar in its mouth, this is a very good Paullac. 4,770 Views Tasted Jul 12, 2017Sun-ripened blackberries, thyme and a hint of forest floor give way to a blast of succulent cassis, dark chocolate and tobacco on the palate. This wine has freshness, ripe tannins and a juicy, crisp finish with traditional Pauillac character. Made from a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, this wine reached 13.25% ABV. The Grand Vin represents 60% of the harvest. 91 - 93 Pts 5,205 Views Tasted Apr 18, 2016 |
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2014
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
A sold example of a classic Pauillac, when the word classic is a good thing. Ripe, juicy, crisp and sweet, fresh cassis, with soft, but stern tannins that demand time in the cellar. A decade of patience will allow the tobacco, cedar and earthy notes to make their presence known, once the wine softens and comes together. The wine was made from a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. 5,960 Views Tasted Dec 21, 2017 |
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2013
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Medium bodied with crisp red berries and tobacco and espresso on the nose, this lighter, uncomplicated style of Pauillac—produced from a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot—will show best in its youth. 87-89 Pts. 3,102 Views Tasted Apr 20, 2014 |
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2012
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
The blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot produced a wine with cassis, black cherry, earth and a hint of oak on the nose, soft tannins and classic, Cabernet Sauvignon finish. This is showing much better in bottle than it did in barrel, which is always a good sign. 5,242 Views Tasted Mar 11, 2015 |
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2011
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Forward, medium-bodied, early drinking, correct Pauillac with a fresh, bright character, ending with slightly dusty tannins, blackberry, cassis and a hint of cranberry in the background. 4,352 Views Tasted Dec 3, 2018 |
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2010
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Only a few more years of bottle age has added a lot to this wine. Juicy cassis, blackberry, tobacco, smoke, cedar aromatics pop with no effort. Refined tannins and an elegant, medium.full bodied palate presence, with a bite of cassis in the end note are what you'll find here. This should be close to peak with another 7-8 years or so of age, and continue from there offering nice drinking for another decade or 2. 8,659 Views Tasted Mar 12, 2017A very nice Pauillac filled with cassis, blackberry, olive tapenade, earth and some cigar box notes. From a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. the wine has good concentration of flavor, ripe, but noticeable tannins and rich, spicy, cassis filled finish. This will only get better with time. 11,490 Views Tasted Jul 22, 2013 |
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2009
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Showing much better than it did just a few years ago, the wine has added a lot of weight and character. Now you find loads of cassis, black currants, leafy herbs, tobacco, and pepper nuances. Rich and with ample depth, the wine looks like it has a solid future. Drink from 2025-2045. 6,097 Views Tasted Jul 9, 2022Leafy green aromas, forest floor, wet earth, campfire and earthy red fruits hit your glass easily. On the palate, the wine is soft, medium bodied, and spicy, with an earthy red pit fruit finish. This is in its prime time drinking window, so enjoy this classic Pauillac over the next decade or two with ease. 6,107 Views Tasted Sep 20, 2019From a blend of 74% Caberent Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and equal parts Cabert Franc and Petit Verdot, this could be one of the best values in Pauillac from the 2009 vintage. Filled with fresh, blackberry, earth, cedar, tobacco and earth, soft tannins, round textures and a rich, delicious, earthy, ripe cassis and spice finish. 13,415 Views Tasted May 23, 2012 |
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2008
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Young, as you would expect, the wine is solidly built, with crisp, red, bright, but still juicy, fruits. Medium/full bodied, with hints of secondary nuances starting to pop out, the finish offers classically styled, bright, red berries, pepper and cassis. Give it another 5 years or so. The wine was made from a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. 6,760 Views Tasted Sep 10, 2017 |
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2007
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
My British friends would call this a perfect example of a luncheon Claret, and they are right. Fully ready to go, the wine is medium bodied, with a tobacco, cedar, dark red fruit and earthy, forest nose. The wine does not offer volume or weight, but its fresh, earthy, soft and with a bright, red, earthy, slightly herbal finish. 3,597 Views Tasted Aug 23, 2017 |
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2006
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Still deep in color, with cigar box, cassis, fresh herbs and spice filled aromatics, the wine is medium/full bodied, with good freshness and crisp, red fruits in the finish. This is just starting to enter its prime time drinking window. But there is no hurry to drink it as should have at least a few decades of life and evolution in its future. 4,642 Views Tasted May 25, 2016Firm, tannic, structured and filled with cassis, smoke, earth and tobacco, give this at least another 5 or more years for the tannins to soften. 4,397 Views Tasted Nov 19, 2013 |
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2005
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Classic Pauillac, with tannin, structure. freshness, crisp fruit, firm elegance and a blast of cassis, cedar and tobacco. Still young, and seems to be holding some of its cards in reserve. Clearly, this has improved over the past decade and will definitely be more interesting to drink with another 5 years of bottle age. 6,027 Views Tasted Jun 27, 2015From a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine is dark in color, with cassis, stone, plum and tobacco scents. With ample chewy tannins, good concentration of flavor and freshness, this traditionally styled Pauillac needs at least another decade before it softens and comes together. 9,959 Views Tasted Dec 26, 2011 |
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2004
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Medium bodied, with fresh cassis, tobacco and cedar wood aromas, the tannins are fine, with no harshness, but there is an herbal, olive note in the finish some tasters will like more than others. 4,154 Views Tasted Jan 4, 2015 |
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2003
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Nice, well priced, medium bodied, ready to drink classy Pauillac with loads of ripe, sweet fruit, tobacco, wet earth and thyme on the nose. There is freshness along with soft, dark red fruits and cassis in the finish. The wine was produced from a blend of blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. 3,847 Views Tasted Jan 23, 2016 |
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2001
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Medium-bodied, fully mature, cassis focused wine with a nice pencil, cigar wrapper, cedar and herb-filled edge on the nose and palate. Not very deep, but quite charming and easy to drink. No decanting needed, just pop and pour or a splash decant is more than ample here. 2,499 Views Tasted Aug 17, 2020 |
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2000
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
This has a lot of easy to like Pauillac charm with its cedar, cassis, tobacco and earthy profile. Tannic, giving the wine a backbone and the ability to age, but the tannins are not overwhelming, this classic wine is fine to drink now, but another 2-3 years will add more complexity to the wine. 4,679 Views Tasted May 8, 2014 |
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1990
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Full developed, classic in style, with a strong lean to the bright, cassis and cranberry side of the classic, leaner style range, the wine offers notes of herbs, tobacco, green herb and leafy essences in the nose and palate. This is fully mature. 5,023 Views Tasted Jun 5, 2018 |
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1982
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Classic style of Left Bank Bordeaux with a blast of cedar wood, tobacco, burnt wood, cigar box, cherry and cassis on the nose. Medium bodied, slightly stern in character, with a hint of rusticity in the tannins, the finish was fresh, with an earthy, spicy, red berry and cranberry ending. Fully mature, this was just popped and poured... 4,582 Views Tasted Oct 28, 2016 |
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1929
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Sensual, with that silky, patina of age, sweet cassis and cherry, with Cuban cigars, tobacco, ash and earth. What a treat! 1,989 Views Tasted Apr 13, 2017 |
