March 12, 2022 - - Purple color with medium forming legs and aromas of black pepper and has flavours of black currant and black pepper.
October 5, 2019 - Medium ruby to medium garnet colour. Some fine sediment,
NOSE: Almonds hit the nose first. Then in quick succession leather and a lovely animal / farm nose, rich, almost oily lilies of the valley. Finally some black currant, paprika and black pepper. (91p)
TASTE: The arrival is fresh and fruity, almost lean in body. Then on the mid palate the weight grows to medium bodied and ads an oily element to its texture. There’s more lilies of the valley, lots of blueberry and some cassis. The oiliness carries through the exit into the aftertaste, where there are rounded tannins, more blueberry, cassis and a little pepper. (88p)
A medium bodied, mature Pauillac which although it may have peaked a few years ago, still drinks very well. Excellent with steak and mushrooms.
TOTAL SCORE: 89 points.
February 22, 2014 - Oh so familiar perfume of berries trampled in undergrowth by leather boots on opening but after nearly two hours in the decanter and four drinking, this was a tad disappointing.
Perhaps my tastebuds are still labouring after a month of on-off flu but this seemed slightly stewed and brought back early Eighties memories of Ribena served lukewarm by my mother.
I'm overstating a little and this was certainly always drinkable and recognisably decent claret, just distinctly a quality level below last year's first bottle.
April 27, 2013 - Decanted for around 90 minutes and paired with chicken kiev, sauté potatoes, tomato and olive salad followed by selection of M&S mini-cheeses.
Spilt Ribena on a petrol station forecourt again like the '98 vintage's nose - an off-shoot of the trad Pauillic perfume. Earthy hints of motorway verges.
First gulp brought on a wave of stomach-lining acid but this thankfully passed and lurking behind was ever-increasing satisfaction - cedar, blackcurrant, blueberry all in alignment. Enhanced the cheese plate with a velvety and lingering sign-off on each sip.
Not sure how to score definitively but at its best better than the '98 and at the auction price paid, a bargain big dinner wine.
December 9, 2011 - On the nose this wine had excellent hints of cedar, tobacco, and a quite earthy fragrance. On the palate, this Batailley had all the characteristics of the wines from Pauillac - quite tannic with a long finish which can seem a bit overwhelming due to the acidity.
Overall, I was very pleased with this wine. While it is certainly fully mature, there is no reason not to purchase and enjoy this wine for the next 1-3 years.
June 20, 2011 - Ruby core with garnet orange rim. Good ripe nose which is unexpected for the vintage. Strong graphite and sous bois notes. Sweet conc cassis. Lifted and quite powerful. Lovely flavours on the palate. Soft and creamy developed fruits. Nice silky texture. Not profound or powerful but pretty and delicious in a simple hedonistic way. Doesn't need to do anymore it's lovely as it is. Good acidity keeps things refreshing and tannins and oak have integrated well and in no way dominate the fruit. Good mouth coating finish. A very good 1997.
February 26, 2011 - Slightly opaque. Dark. Garnet.
Cedar on the nose
Beautiful texture of a mature claret.
Good.
June 10, 2010 - Clear dark garnet
clean nose, molasis, tobacco. Evolved fruit.
Dry. Fine tannins. Med acidity. Med body. Long finish.
Slight heat on the finish despite only 12.5%
good stuff.
March 21, 2010 - Mature claret, with notes of cedar, earth, tobacco and dark, surprisingly ripe fruits. Had a leading edge of sweetness that wasn't apparent until the day after opening the bottle- this inspite of a 2 hour double decant. Very good wine for the vintage. Will buy if the price is right.
January 14, 2010 - Chateau Batailley Dinner (The Square, London): 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