2020 Château Haut-Batailley

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 92.8 points

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  2/23/2024 - COWineLover wrote: 92 Points

  A cellar juggling bottle as my pre-order was for 6 bottles but apparently one went missing so I opted to reduce the odd lot to 4 bottles. I never sample young Bordeaux, so this is a departure for normal consumption.
  
  Color is completely opaque. Aromatically this leads with a strong menthol, anise, dark roasted coffee, cassis, clove, and incense. On the palate this has noticeable tannin as expected, but the merlot softens this to the point where this should be accessible at an early age. Has structure to be a good mid-term drinker (2025-2035) while others sleep. This leans into tart black fruit on the attack. In the mid-palate this fills in with a bitter anise, roasted espresso, sweet cassis, and dark cacao. There is great length on the finish where the anise, espresso, and clove fill every part of your mouth. The only flaw is this could use a little more lift - the acidity is overwhelmed by the tannin at this stage. Because of the lean acidity that frames my drinking window estimate.
  
  Surprisingly approachable, but as noted I don’t open young Bordeaux so take my approachability note accordingly. Very good material and this checks the boxes from start to finish. Day 1 - 92-93
  
  Day 2 - The aromatics have really opened up after overnight refrigeration. Loaded with plums, black currant, lavender, sweet clove, anise, and coffee. On the palate this has turned a bit angular where the anise and tannin have hardened up on the attack. Settles in the mid-palate where the plum and black currants attempt to file down the angularity of the attack. The finish remains pleasant with a smoke and espresso centric profile, though the length has diminished somewhat.
  
  The wine shows quite differently between the days. No noticeable flaws (other than more lift as noted day 1), and the differences between the days highlight a good quality wine at this stage with a diverse tasting experience. No change in the overall score.
  
  From my tasting over the two days, I believe the drinking window for me probably remains through 2035.

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  11/24/2023 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Good ripeness with Pauillac typicity. Light touch of wood and herbaceous.

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  8/21/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points

  Cigar box, menthol, cocoa, blackberries, smoke, cedar, and tobacco notes are close to being on full display. Creamy and supple on the palate, the wine is fresh, polished and requires only a few years in the cellar before it is ready to go. The wine blends 62% Cabernet Sauvignon with 38% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2050.

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  5/20/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points

  Richly colored, right off the bat you find tobacco, cedar, savory herbs, earth and spicy red currants on the nose and mid-palate. Full-bodied, concentrated and with a big blast of sweet, juicy cassis that carries through to the finish, this is a soft textured, fruit-filled, elegantly styled Pauillac that should provide a lot of pleasure before it hits its 10th birthday. The wine blends 62% Cabernet Sauvignon with 38% Merlot. 93-95

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