Château Batailley
It is not often the words "Pauillac" and "good value" are found in the same sentence, but this can certainly be said about the Fifth Cru Classé, Château Batailley. With roots dating as far back as the 1400s, Château Batailley took its name from the word “bataille” (meaning battle), in memory of a battle in 1453 where French troops succeeded in re-capturing Château Latour from the English. Eventually acquired by famed Bordeaux négociant Daniel Guestier in 1816, who aggressively increased Batailley’s acreage with more plots adjacent to Lynch Bages and Grand Puy Lacoste, Château Batailley’s reputation climbed steadily and after changing hands a few times, had part of the estate branching off as Château Haut Batailley.
Today, Château Batailley owns 60 hectares of vines planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot making up the remaining. Vines are, on average, 40 years of age and grow on soils consisting of gravel, clay and sand with a maximum elevation of 27 metres.
One of the most reliable wines from the Left Bank, Château Batailley is a wine to turn to for a classic taste of Bordeaux at a non-stratospheric price.
-
Decanter (97)
Vibrant and intense colour in the glass, richly scented, floral and perfumed, open and inviting. Intense and concentrated, the fruit is dark and ripe but there’s no hint of over ripeness here and instead you get cool blue fruits, chalky tannins and minty freshness with accents of liquorice, coffee, tobacco, cedar spice and clove. Tannins are clearly at the fore, giving the structure and the frame while the juicy acidity gives the energy and life. Still on the serious side, not tense so much as there’s good persistence, it’s lean and streamlined, but refined in a spiced and mineral way. Gorgeous terroir markers, lovely detail and precision, you can feel they haven't worked too much or tried too hard. It carries the signature of the estate in the serious structure, it’s a big wine, there’s such power here but so well controlled and delivered. Razor sharp, focussed and persistent. A gorgeous 2022, well executed and will be a clear success.$274.00 -
(1x150cl) 2023Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
You want to know what Pauillac tastes like, roll up and enjoy this vintage of Batailley. Squid ink, slate, cassis, bilberry, slate, crayon, black chocolate, plenty of tannic grip, a smudge of grilled cedar oak and a squeeze of mint, it's all here. 57% new oak for ageing. Harvest September 12 through to October 5, Axel Marchal consultant, Philippe and Frederic Castéja owners.$96.00 -
(3x150cl) 2023Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
You want to know what Pauillac tastes like, roll up and enjoy this vintage of Batailley. Squid ink, slate, cassis, bilberry, slate, crayon, black chocolate, plenty of tannic grip, a smudge of grilled cedar oak and a squeeze of mint, it's all here. 57% new oak for ageing. Harvest September 12 through to October 5, Axel Marchal consultant, Philippe and Frederic Castéja owners.$1,257.59 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
You want to know what Pauillac tastes like, roll up and enjoy this vintage of Batailley. Squid ink, slate, cassis, bilberry, slate, crayon, black chocolate, plenty of tannic grip, a smudge of grilled cedar oak and a squeeze of mint, it's all here. 57% new oak for ageing. Harvest September 12 through to October 5, Axel Marchal consultant, Philippe and Frederic Castéja owners.$212.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (89-91)
The 2020 Lions de Batailley has a tightly wound bouquet with blackberry, cedar and light cigar box aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with graphite tinged black fruit on the entry, fine weight, quite sweet towards the finish whilst retaining Pauillac-like structure. This is a thoroughly decent Deuxième Vin.$245.00
