Chateau Batailley Dinner

Held in the private dining room, with Philippe and Frederic Casteja. Organised by Neil Holland.

Served before dinner with canapes

• 1997 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Moderately intense, mature, attractive nose, red fruited, some gravelly minerals, brown sugar. Medium bodied, soft and sweet but nicely balanced by firm acidity. Not hugely intense or long, but a more than decent lunch-time claret. Ready. **1/2

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• 2002 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  A little closed at first but opening as it warmed to show much more youthful, slightly creamy fruit. Quite red-fruited again with vanilla notes. Attractive weight and denisty on the palate, some nice florality, reasonable (if not exceptional) depth and length. ***

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• 2004 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Slightly darker fruited, vanilla notes. Crisp, fresh and appetising in that attractive way that many 2004's have, but a little dilute on the mid-palate and short on the finish. Some attractive savoury, earthiness though. Drinking quite well already, doubt it will make old bones. **1/2

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• 2006 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Notable toasty oak on the nose at first, but this seemed to blow off with time to leave an attractive vibrantly fruited nose with notes of vanilla and cream. This showed good depth of fruit on the palate, plenty of firm, but fine tannins, fresh acidity and good length on the finish. Best wine of the flight ***1/2

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With roast pigeon from Bresse, caramelised butternut and a confit of trompettes de la mort and chestnuts

• 1966 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Mature nose, with an attractive mix of irony bitterness and sweet caramel. Lacks a little intensity. A little lean on the palate in truth with slightly oxidised fruit, notable acidity dominating the moderate length finish. Still alive but tottering! **

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• 1970 Château Batailley Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Corked and stinky! No.

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• 1985 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Some attractive slightly leafy red fruit on the palate but a distinct note of cork taint too. Palate thin and stripped. Corked.

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• 1989 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Very sweet red fruited nose, notes of rich earth and some caramel. Soft and mature on the palate, perhaps lacking a little structure and vigour but the best wine of the flight. Just ***.

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Risotto of perigord truffles with bone marrow and snails

• 1955 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Spicy, rich mature nose - mm this is good, attractively earthy with plenty of life. Unfortunately let down by the palate, which is a little threadbare and lean and slightly short and acidic on the finish. ** (mainly for the nose).

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• 1986 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Proper, classic dark fruited Pauillac nose, Cassis fruit, some vanilla, tobacco, minty with an attractive bitter edge. Lithe and sleek on the palate, firm with cool cassis fruit, some cedar, attractive earthy complexity. Excellent, proper claret! ****

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• 2001 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Dark fruited again, cassis with vanilal notes. Quite young. Whiff of cork taint and a slightly stripped finish suggest something not quite right, although nothing showed on the nose when returned to at the end of the evening. **1/2??

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• 2003 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Aggresively ripe, simple nose, bursting with candied red fruit. Plenty of vanilla. Medium/full bodied on the palate, with a burst of ripe fruit on the initial attack then descends into a short/medium length chewy, rather soul-less, flabby finish. No. *1/2

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Roast leg of Pyrenean lamb with a croustillant of the shoulder, shallot purée, roast garlic and rosemary

• 1947 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Lightly oxidised, sweet, ripe fruit. Slightly bitter/dirty egde that's not quite right, this more noticeable on the palate. NR.

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• 1961 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Interesting, slightly elusive, meaty, bovrilly nose, no furit to speak of. Similar, savoury flavours on the palate but again lacking a bit of substance and the tannins are poking through rather. Honourable effort though. **1/2

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• 1982 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Sweet, mature, fruit-cakey fruit, slightly baked with a hint of tea. Quite rich on initial entry, sweet, sweet fruit with nice earthy complexity, welcome acidity on a long, harmonious finish. Excellent. ****

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• 1996 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Classic Pauillac with cassis, hints of cedar and a touch of tobacco. Medium bodied on the palate with sleek, dark fruit, tobacco notes. Linear with fresh, balanced acidity, very good length finish. ****

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Roast saddle of Lincolnshire hare with a tarte fine of celeriac and pear

• 1949 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Attractive nose, sweet with rich earthy fruit, notes of tea. Mature and sweet on initial entry, still some chewy tannins on the mid-palate which come to dominate the slightly short, chewy finish. Holding up better than most of the older wines tonight though. **1/2

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• 1962 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  VA, vinegary nose - oxidative too. Lean and attenuated on the palate. NR

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• 1990 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Typical, slightly basked 1990 nose - red fruited. Very sweet, rich fruit on the palate, quite tasty if a little heavy, lacking refreshment and drinkability. **1/2

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• 2000 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Nose still quite oaky - vanilla and coffee, cassis fruit coming through. Medium/full bodied with good acidity to balance the richness. Tannins are ripe and not overly chewy on teh finish but this comes across as quite oaky on the palate too, but may well harmonise with time. Good depth and length. ***1/2

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Daube of ox cheek with creamed potato and baked carrots

• 1959 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Some sweet fruit but with a marked green streak running right through it providing a slightly bizarre but, on the nose at least, quite interesting contrast. However "greeness" dominates the palate and the finish is a little short, firm and dry. **

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• 1983 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Sweet, mature red fruit on nose. Quite soft and savoury on the mid-palate, but for me lacking intensity and a bit chewy on teh finish. Others liked this more. **1/2

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• 1995 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  A little closed and tight (in contrast to my previous bottle). Rich, chewy and quite full but with good acidity. ***?

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• 2005 Château Batailley

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Found this very diffiocult to judge, particularly after a long evening's tasting, but lots of creamy oak and underlying ripe fruit with good density and length in the mouth. ****???

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