Important Update From the Founder
Read message >
Chateau Batailley Dinner
The Square, London
Tasted January 14, 2010 by Paul D with 985 views
Introduction
Held in the private dining room, with Philippe and Frederic Casteja. Organised by Neil Holland.
Flight 1 (4 notes)
Served before dinner with canapes
Red
1997 Château Batailley
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
Red
2002 Château Batailley
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. ***
Red
2004 Château Batailley
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
Red
2006 Château Batailley
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
Flight 2 (4 notes)
With roast pigeon from Bresse, caramelised butternut and a confit of trompettes de la mort and chestnuts
Red
1966 Château Batailley
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! **
Red
1985 Château Batailley
Some attractive slightly leafy red fruit on the palate but a distinct note of cork taint too. Palate thin and stripped. Corked.
Red
1989 Château Batailley
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 ***.
Flight 3 (4 notes)
Risotto of perigord truffles with bone marrow and snails
Red
1955 Château Batailley
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).
Red
1986 Château Batailley
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! ****
Red
2001 Château Batailley
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??
Red
2003 Château Batailley
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
Flight 4 (4 notes)
Roast leg of Pyrenean lamb with a croustillant of the shoulder, shallot purée, roast garlic and rosemary
Red
1947 Château Batailley
Lightly oxidised, sweet, ripe fruit. Slightly bitter/dirty egde that's not quite right, this more noticeable on the palate. NR.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
1961 Château Batailley
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
Red
1982 Château Batailley
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. ****
Red
1996 Château Batailley
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. ****
Flight 5 (4 notes)
Roast saddle of Lincolnshire hare with a tarte fine of celeriac and pear
Red
1949 Château Batailley
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
Red
Red
1990 Château Batailley
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
Red
2000 Château Batailley
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
Flight 6 (4 notes)
Daube of ox cheek with creamed potato and baked carrots
Red
1959 Château Batailley
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. **
Red
1983 Château Batailley
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
Red
1995 Château Batailley
A little closed and tight (in contrast to my previous bottle). Rich, chewy and quite full but with good acidity. ***?
Red
2005 Château Batailley
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. ****???