Batailley 1986
- The 1986 Batailley is a vintage that has never really endeared itself, at least to this writer. The nose is earthy and very austere, evoking images of a dusty attic in an old stately home. The palate is medium-bodied and mature with dry tannins, lacking the depth of fruit to offset the austere nature of this wine. Frankly, I find much more pleasure from the 1959 and the 2004 Batailley poured alongside. Tasted at the château.
Chateau Batailley
The historic Château Batailley is a Fifth Growth estate in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux. Situated on a plateau to the west of the First Growth of Mouton Rothschild, Batailley is one of the oldest chateaux in the Bordeaux region, dating from the 15th century.
In the past two decades, there has been a significant upturn in quality of the Château Batailley grand vin – a typical Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend with Merlot and smaller proportions of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine exhibits classic Pauillac character – concentrated flavour, good structure and ripe tannins.
Vinification at Château Batailley is conventional: grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place in both steel tanks and barrels, and the wine is matured barriques (about half of them new) for 16-18 months before bottling. Since 2014, Batailley has produced a second wine, Lions de Batailley, using grapes from younger vines on the 55ha estate. This wine is in a comparable style to the grand vin.
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