Coravin fun - Bordeaux: Batailley, Beychevelle, La Lagune

After the Dubai debacle ruined my trip to En Primeur this year I decided to take out my disappointment by attacking my cellar.

this bracket also had a 1978 and a 1981:
1978: After two attempts with the vintage needle this was set aside - basically the needle was stripping the very soft cork on each attempt and clogging. One to be consumed at a later date.
1981: When the Coravin was applied the cork began to sink so this wine was set aside to make a brace of mature Batailley for a lovely supper.

• 1996 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Coravin. Aromas of blood, earth, red and black fruits, a little currant, plums, fruit a little dried out, Asian five spice, soy sauce. In the mouth there are flavours of very slightly sharp blackcurrant and brambles, black tea tannins, little sous bois and Szechuan spice on the finish. Yum.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Interesting that the 2006 showed best in this bracket

• 2000 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Coravin. Gamey and meaty, slight oxidation lends caramel, austere blackcurrant, plums, cedar, a little backing spice, touch of blood and leather. That oxidised note translates to the palate but is a minor distraction from the fresh red and black fruits, slightly minty notes, silky tannins, all travel long...In a good spot but probably time to tidy up based on those oxidised notes.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2003 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Coravin. Baked black fruits; like pie filling, sweet spice here even shows a little cinnamon, cedar, touch of garrigue; lavender, blacked earth. Ooh, it's quite austere and reticent on the palate; muted black fruits have a bit of sourness, tannins are sill bold, ripe, drying fruit doesn't persists - in fact that isn't enough fruit for the structure and I don't think time is going to help here. Hmm.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2005 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Coravin. Initially baked black fruits, fruit tea, meaty notes, cedar, touch of almost tomato leaf, with time raspberry, a little clove and nutmeg. Fruit saturated oak on the palate, drying though not coarsely textured tannins, fruit is present but plays 2nd fiddle, touch of meatiness on the long finish. Okay.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2006 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Coravin. Similar to the 2005 but with more red hued fruits to the fore, fresh earth, sous bois, a little red cherry fruit lozenge note with blackcurrant lurking in the background, sweet spice and cedar complete the nose. In the mouth red and black fruits, fruit tea, cream, seamlessly integrated oak, silky tannins, fresh, juicy, medium plus intensity length but harmonious. Very good.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

All hits other than the 2011...

• 2008 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Coravin. Pencil shavings, red and blackcurrant, cedar, earth, slight leather, touch of cream and fruit lozenge showing cherry, pretty nose. That pencil shaving note translate to the palate with the fruit. Tannins are tight, emery paper textured are drying, the flavours just about persistent past this. opens with time. Nice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2009 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas of cedar, blackcurrant, savoury underpin, a little dried twigs, forest floor, brambles, slightly blood, tiny alcohol prickle. With time the fruit 'pops' a little more. And the fruit is to the fore on the palate which proves juicy and fleshy, tannins are persistent, drying but in support, all travels very long. Yum.

  Post a Comment / 4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2010 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Coravin. Blackcurrant, pencil shavings, polished oak, baking spice, very slight vanilla pod, blood, plums, cedar. On the palate pencil shavings, fresh black currant brambles, talc textured tannins persists long, dry out the palate but not sufficient to detract from the fruit. All travels very long. Quite traditional gentlemen's claret from a good vintage. Nice

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2011 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Coravin. Earth, brambles, a little blackcurrant compote, fresh herbs, raspberry, cedar, sweet baking spices; nutmeg, cinnamon, with time a red cherry note - Kirsch in fact. Juicy, fleshy but after the other wines in this bracket this is quite anonymous, a little red and black fruit with a savoury note, drying, slightly coarse tannins. Not it's best showing. Meh.

  Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

the 89 was nice but I didn't found my heart set on fire by these wines...

• 1982 Château Beychevelle

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  From Coravin. Slightly leaky cork. Clove, slight menthol/camphor notes, red berries, sweet spice, sous box, a little almost orange peel, dried flowers, touch of cherry, blood. Red hued fruit but with fruit sweet core, fleshy and surprisingly generous, tannins are a silky whisper on the mid palate. All carries long aided by a touch of non-intrusive alcohol warmth. Okay.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1989 Château Beychevelle

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  From Coravin. Earth, blood, very slight farmyard, brambles, leather, cigar box, cedar, sweet spice, Autumn copse, nice mature nose. On the palate red and black fruits are slightly dried out but still offer some vibrancy. Touch of blood, leathery tannins are chamois soft, simple, long, charming.

  Read 12 Comments / Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2015 Château Beychevelle

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  From Coravin. From half bottle. Medium minus intensity aromas of plums, sweet spice, a little blackcurrant, touch of alcohol prickle, almost a marzipan quality. In the mouth It has savoury plums and brambles, a little blackcurrant, slight bitterness, tannins are woody with a little vanilla, though quite silky textured, raw silk. Medium plus length. Okay

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

This was a pretty good bracket.

• 1983 Château La Lagune

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Little bit of cellar stink, red berry and cherry, touch of bramble, wet earth, mulchy leaves, mushroom, slight cedar and cigar box, leather, savoury spice. Super juicy - medium plus intensity acidity without being sharp, those red fruits underpinned by bramble are a little closed out; an impression reinforced by the coarse flour textured tannins. Lovely, smashable.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1985 Château La Lagune

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Blood, graphite, fresh blackcurrant, leather, sweet spice, slightly lifted notes, confected raspberry in the background with some herbaceous elements showing almost rosemary, in the mouth the fresh black fruits are slightly sour, graphite, leather, a little mushroom in support, tannins are a woody rasp across the palate; like tongue kissing Pinocchio's cat. It's all rather oddly pleasant.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1994 Château La Lagune

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Bramble, blackcurrant, forest floor, wet undergrowth, autumn berries, leather, slight bonfire, cedar, slight farmyard and a touch of rot, mushroom here as well. The palate is a reflection of the nose, surprisingly fruit sweet considering age and vintage, tannins are drying, slightly coarse and slightly apart from the fruit and flavours, not integrated though it does not detract. Nice.

  Read 4 Comments / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

A little more down to earth here...

• 2002 Château La Lagune

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Brambles, blackcurrant, sweet spice, nutmeg, clove, forest floor, cedar, leather, wet earth, a little dried herbs, touch of pyrazine,. In the mouth slightly sour black fruits, that pyrazine note noticeable on the palate, leather, tannins are drying, slightly coarse and, like the 1994, sit apart from the wine. Okay

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2003 Château La Lagune

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Baked black fruits are non-delineated, a little lifted almost volatile note, in the background, some raspberry, strawberry notes, cedar and baked earth, slight red liquorice, touch of cranberry fruit tea. Juicy tends to medium plus intensity acidity, baked black fruits, slightly woody tannins are coarse but integrated, touch of liquorice, dried herbs on the medium plus length on the finish. Hmm

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2006 Château La Lagune

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Wet forest, brambly black fruits, touch of undergrowth, baking spice, distant bonfire, with time a little sweet fruit lozenge and blackcurrant. Juicy, fleshy, generous, a lake of black hued fruit is paddled affectionately by oaken oars, gentle black tea rasp to the tannins, long. Lovely.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

More fun at home. The Beychevelle's were a little disappointing I must confess whereas the La Lagune's punched above their weight (though the Beychevelle is a fourth growth & the La Lagune is a third growth so not really that surprising)