2004 Ch Batailley 5ème Cru Pauillac

Tasting Notes

Goedhuis, September 2011: A beautifully integrated Pauillac, with appealing open fresh red fruit flavours, this wine has a natural structure with a broad and concentrated palate and long fine finish.
Robert Parker, June 2006, Score: 87-89: Batailley's 2004 reveals hints of smoke, underbrush, black cherries, and currants. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a hint of flowers, medium body, moderate tannin, and a slightly austere finish. This wine should turn out to be nearly as good as the 2003, but lighter in weight.
Robert Parker, June 2007, Score: 90: A sleeper of the vintage, Batailley's complex 2004 is redolent with notes of cedar wood, spice box, plums, cassis, tar, and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, supple textured, layered, rich, and long, it marks the renaissance of this fifth-growth Pauillac that is displaying strong signs of moving into the big leagues. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2025.
Jancis Robinson, April 2005, Score: 16: Very bright dark crimson. Strange note of black pepper. Quite impressive ripeness. Verging on burnt flavours. A little green and raw on the palate. The tannins are very well worked but there's a lack of fruit in the middle. Drink 2014-2019

Pauillac

Due south of St Estèphe lies Pauillac, the king of Left Bank communes. It is home to three first growths as well as a plethora of other classified growths. Its renowned well-draining, gravelly soils enable its dominant grape Cabernet Sauvignon to reach fantastic heights of complexity and concentration. As a result, the wines tend to be full-bodied with compact tannins and good freshness. Its aromatics are often what one associates with classic Bordeaux: pencil shavings, black currant and occasional mint. Some of the most famous châteaux of the commune are Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Pichon Baron, Pichon Lalande and Lynch Bages.

Château Batailley

Known as one of the "forgotten" château of the Médoc, Batailley is also one with great potential. Owned by the Castéja's, it has been managed by Borie-Manoux, a leading Bordelais négociant, since the 1960s. For many years it was not traded amongst traditional Bordeaux circles which contributed to its lesser known stature. This has changed only over the past couple of years. For some time now, Batailley has represented one of the best values in Bordeaux.Traditional and stylish, it often embodies the quintessential Pauillac spirit offering distinguished aromas of cedar box, and cassis enveloped in a finely structured yet fresh palate.

Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Cabernet Franc

One of the most widely-found blends used throughout the Bordeaux region - including such legendary wines as Chateaux Haut-Brion, Cos d'Estournel, Ducru Beaucaillou and Leoville-Barton. At it's best this potentially perfect combination balances depth of flavour, ripe richness and taut tannic structure and length. It also produces some of the finest red wines from the Napa Valley in California and Stellenbosch in South Africa.