Château Batailley 2016

Seductive, élevage-driven aromas of pastry and berries; dense structure, tannins with breed and freshness, firm, persistent, with great potential; excellently crafted.

This is a bit subtle and old-school in approach, with singed juniper and alder elements out front, followed by perfumy, lightly mulled currant and cherry fruit flavors. The wood notes reemerge through the finish along with savory and sanguine threads. Will age well; for fans of the style. Best from 2024 through 2038. 18,333 cases made.

Upfront and confident on the attack, this shows a rich sweetness with cedar, damson and blackberry. It's big and weighty, and goes for impact - the oak is a little more evident than in some others. The acidity feels high at first, but it settles into itself. It's well-knitted with extremely impressive tannins - this needs time.

Shows beautiful, ripe cabernet aromas with currants, plums, meat and smoke. Flowers, too. Full body, deep and ripe fruit and exquisite, ripe tannins. Flavorful finish. Tight right now, but shows excellent potential. Best ever. Try after 2024.

If you like, and coax the glass just a bit, you can find cigar box, tobacco, truffle, smoke and blackberries. The wine is medium to full-bodied with round tannins and a crisp bite of cassis in the almost creamy finish. Give the wine 7–10 years in the cellar for the Pauillac firmness to subside and enjoy it over the following two decades or more. The wine was made from a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot.

pure nose, classic hints of graphite, tobacco, cassis, plum, leather and gentle oak. The palate has good volume and weight, still youthful but with ripe extract, nicely austere dark fruit and a long, dense finish.

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 50 hl/ha. Garnet with ruby highlights. Delicately scented raspberry bouquet, followed by red currant and cooled fruit tea, then light tobacco and a touch of café au lait. On the palate, elegant, with beautifully supportive fine tannins and wonderful freshness. A feminine Batailley with a red-berry finish – a true Pauillac delicacy that still has room to evolve!

Kunz barrel sample 17: (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 50 hl/ha) Velvety, fresh, powerful bouquet, cassis, tobacco, dark chocolate, mint, subtle plum. Creamy, aromatic palate with powerful fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a tightly woven structure, intense, sweet aromatics, long, fresh finish.

(85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 50 hl/ha) Velvety, fresh, powerful bouquet, cassis, tobacco, dark chocolate, mint, delicate plum notes. Creamy, aromatic palate with powerful fruit, plenty of fine tannins, tightly interwoven structure, intense, sweet aromatics, long, fresh finish. 18/20 2024 - 2040

Deep colour, noble aromas of Havana tobacco and cedar, refined tannins, classic Pauillac, slightly more open than other Fifth Growths from Pauillac, very successful.

The 2016 is still under the influence of a touch of oak. Everything will come together, as the substance is energetic and the wine’s framework supports it. The wine is very racy and will go far, carried by noble tannins.

Very beautiful red fruit, integrated oak, floral. Lovely texture, great length, intense, broad yet fine tannins. Superb.

Garnet red with purple highlights. Beautiful aromatic intensity with classic notes of cedar and graphite. The fruit is also well expressed through black-berry notes, but the complexity is far more nuanced, with smoky hints, cocoa, grilled bacon, blackberries, raspberries, and licorice wood. Juicy, compact attack. The wine has richness, body, and a very fine acidic structure that energizes the finish and perfectly supports the aromatics. A great success that underlines the freshness of Cabernet on the finish and promises excellent aging potential.

The best ever made. Dark, intense, beautiful color. An intense, refined nose with pure, ripe, subtle fruit. Supple from the attack, particularly aromatic mid-palate, juicy, packed with flavor; the wine finishes with ample body, a sappy length, and fragrant, velvety tannins. It’s very good. Blend: 85% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 3% petit verdot.

Dark ruby, opaque core, discreet brightening at the rim, fine hints of prune, a touch of fig and tobacco. Medium complexity, nuances of blackberry and cassis, integrated tannins, somewhat developed, subtle nougat on the finish, a charming food wine.

This wine shows all the power of the vintage, with rich tannins and sumptuous black-currant fruit. A lot of expensive work has gone into bringing this estate up to this level and this excellent bottling is the result. Drink the wine from 2025.