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.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Bordeaux | 1 | 90 (VN (NM)) |
Inc. TAX
€1,521.12 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (90)The 1982 Batailley is a vintage that has never quite met my expectations. Now at almost four decades old, I find that the aromatics lack the fruité of its peers, also compared to the superior 1989. Earthy, dried leaves and light smoky aromas gently waft from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannins and vestiges of red fruit, a little sour now, but it fades a little towards the peppery finish. This used to be knitted together, but now it feels a little frayed at the seams. Tasted at the château. |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€352.38 |
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James Suckling (96)Shows beautiful, ripe cabernet aromas with currants, plums, meat and smoke. Flowers, too. Full body, deep and ripe fruit and exquisite, ripe tannins. Flavorful finish. Tight right now, but shows excellent potential. Best ever. Try after 2024. |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 94-95 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€339.18 |
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James Suckling (94-95)This is very structured and dense with lots of fruit and tannin, yet it’s tight and long. Linear and racy. Muscular. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€269.58 |
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James Suckling (96)Shows beautiful, ripe cabernet aromas with currants, plums, meat and smoke. Flowers, too. Full body, deep and ripe fruit and exquisite, ripe tannins. Flavorful finish. Tight right now, but shows excellent potential. Best ever. Try after 2024. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€261.22 |
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James Suckling (94-95)This is classically structured with a wonderful finish of extremely polished tannins and an ultra long finish. So much blackcurrant, spice and cedar. Seamless. 70% cabernet sauvignon and 26% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (DC) |
Inc. TAX
€378.47 |
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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. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 89 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€342.47 |
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Wine Advocate (89)The 2014 Lions de Batailley was the first vintage albeit one produced in a small quantity as a test, according to proprietor Philippe Castèja. It has an attractive bouquet with dense blackberry, crushed strawberry, bay leaf and cedar scents that unfold nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, grippy in the mouth with good density and freshness on the graphite-tinged finish. Frankly, it is as good as some of the Grand Vins from the 1990s. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 90 (VN (NM)) |
In Bond
€1,245.00 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (90)The 1982 Batailley is a vintage that has never quite met my expectations. Now at almost four decades old, I find that the aromatics lack the fruité of its peers, also compared to the superior 1989. Earthy, dried leaves and light smoky aromas gently waft from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannins and vestiges of red fruit, a little sour now, but it fades a little towards the peppery finish. This used to be knitted together, but now it feels a little frayed at the seams. Tasted at the château. |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
€275.00 |
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James Suckling (96)Shows beautiful, ripe cabernet aromas with currants, plums, meat and smoke. Flowers, too. Full body, deep and ripe fruit and exquisite, ripe tannins. Flavorful finish. Tight right now, but shows excellent potential. Best ever. Try after 2024. |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 94-95 (JS) |
In Bond
€264.00 |
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James Suckling (94-95)This is very structured and dense with lots of fruit and tannin, yet it’s tight and long. Linear and racy. Muscular. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
€206.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (96)Shows beautiful, ripe cabernet aromas with currants, plums, meat and smoke. Flowers, too. Full body, deep and ripe fruit and exquisite, ripe tannins. Flavorful finish. Tight right now, but shows excellent potential. Best ever. Try after 2024. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
In Bond
€199.00 |
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James Suckling (94-95)This is classically structured with a wonderful finish of extremely polished tannins and an ultra long finish. So much blackcurrant, spice and cedar. Seamless. 70% cabernet sauvignon and 26% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (DC) |
In Bond
€293.00 |
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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. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 89 (WA) |
In Bond
€263.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (89)The 2014 Lions de Batailley was the first vintage albeit one produced in a small quantity as a test, according to proprietor Philippe Castèja. It has an attractive bouquet with dense blackberry, crushed strawberry, bay leaf and cedar scents that unfold nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, grippy in the mouth with good density and freshness on the graphite-tinged finish. Frankly, it is as good as some of the Grand Vins from the 1990s. |