Batailley 2012

From the famous château estate of the Castéja family, the 2012 Batailley is a very strong effort. This is a big-time sleeper of the vintage. A dense purple wine with loads of crème de cassis, blueberry notes, background forest floor and cedar, this is a strong effort from Batailley and may well usher in a new era for this fifth-growth chateau that is capable of producing great wine. The tannins are sweet and the wine has an opulence and richness that is rare for a Médoc in 2012. Drink it over the next 25 years. Drink: 2015 - 2040.

Tasted en primeur at the château. The Grand Vin is a blend 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet in colour, the Batailley has decent fruit concentration on the nose with blackcurrant, small red cherries and a pleasant graphite scent. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy ripe tannins. There is certainly a sweet core of fruit, quite smooth and perhaps a little more modern in style compared to recent vintages, but that is no bad thing and there is very fine weight and volume towards the harmonious finish that really comes together over 10 minutes in the glass. Tasted April 2013.

Blackish purple. Unusually savoury - meat-extract notes. Interesting! Then sweet and voluptuous on the palate. Very different structure to the St-Juliens. Big and bold and makes a splash. I might have guessed a Pichon if they participated in the UGC blind tasting… Just cuts off a little suddenly on the finish.

The nose is deep and brooding very black fruit dominated but the palate is lighter fresher with more of a bramble character. Rich fruit, liquorice and dark chocolate fill out the mid palate and give depth on the finish. 2020-35