Chateau Batailley 2016
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
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Spectator
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Batailley is a classic and very typical Pauillac, with cassis and currant flavors and a very firm structure. Dark ruby/purple in appearance Chateau Batailley strikes the nose with classic aromas of red and black currant along with cedar and earth. The wine is full-bodied on the palate with wonderful spice and structure.
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
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.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Matured in 60% new oak. It has an intense graphite infused bouquet with fine delineation, some freshly picked Pauillac mint coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin that grip the mouth insistently; with graphite and tobacco-infused black fruit dominating, this a classically styled Batailley in the vein of previous vintages with the elegance coming through towards the finish. This is one of those wines that grows on you, perhaps not as easy or as charming to taste as other Pauillac 2016s at this stage, but knowing this property well, I know how it can blossom when it matters, which is when you and I drink it.
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Decanter
Upfront and confident rich sweetness of cedar, damson and blackberry. Goes for impact from evident oak, firm acidity and extremely impressive tannins.
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Wine Spectator
This is a bit subtle and old-school in approach, with singed juniper and alder elements out front followed by perfumy, lightly mulled currant and cherry fruit flavors. The wood notes reemerge through the finish along with savory and sanguine threads. Will age well; for fans of the style. Best from 2024 through 2038.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Château Batailley offers enjoyable dark fruits, leafy tobacco, new leather, and charred oak aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and fresh...
Rating: 90+
Other Vintages
2015-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine
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Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
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Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
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Spectator
Wine
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.
While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.
Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.
Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.