2015 Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac, Bordeaux

72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot. 49 hl/ha.

Bright limpid crimson. Quite tense and exciting spiciness on the nose. Rich and ripe. Quite forward but good savoury undertow. Lots of energy. Dry but not drying end. A good effort! Nothing forced.

Drink 2024-2040

Good depth of Cabernet fruit with lots of finesse and proper grip. As always, a beautifully textured wine that will open up very well and also last.

Drink: 2021-2035

The 2015 Haut Batailley is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Merlot, matured in 60% new oak. It was picked between 21 September until 2 October. It is a level up from the 2015 Lacoste Borie with much more fruit intensity: blackberry, boysenberry, tobacco and cedar aromas. It gathers momentum in the glass and develops a subtle mint accent. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, lithe tannin, very well balanced with just a slight tinniness that will disappear by the time in bottle. I love the pencil shaving sprinkled over the aftertaste here. With very good substance and impressive length, this is a classic Pauillac that I suspect will offer 25 or 30 years of pleasure.

Drink 2025 - 2055

A wine of class, pedigree and nuance, the 2015 Haut-Batailley is superb. Beams of supporting tannin give the dark purplish flavors striking energy and cut. Graphite, smoke, violet, mint, dark cherry and plum notes continue to open up in the glass. Haut-Batailley is a Pauillac with distinct Saint-Julien leanings, and that is exactly what comes across here. It is also one of the overachievers of the year. The 2015 was impressive each and every time I saw it. Tasted five times.

There’s immediate appeal to the nose and palate. Both are bathed in blackberries and dark plums. The tannins are superbly cut and very long and fresh. The oak chimes in with spicy flavors and bolsters plush grape tannins in a harmonious finish. Try from 2022.