2018 Bordeaux: a hugely impressive Pauillac

2018 Chateau Batailley

It is dark and grained, with a lightly toasted character on the nose, with notes of grilled black cherry, the overarching style confident and sweet. The palate shows a very fine substance, rich and broad, with notes of blackcurrant, praline and some peppery nuances, along with great energy. In the end this is fresh, broad, grippy and cool. A hugely impressive Pauillac, brimming with tannic energy and potential. Well done. 93-95 points' - Chris Kissack, winedoctor.com, April 2019

Batailley has long been a stalwart of the Uncorked range. It has always had a reputation as a reliable performer, producing classically styled Pauillac from well-situated vineyards. What you might not have noticed are the changes here. Quality has improved dramatically under the stewardship of Philippe Casteja, not least since the step change of 2014 and the introduction of a second wine, Lions de Batailley. This led to a big reduction in the volume of the grand vin, with a corresponding jump in quality. Batailley has never been better, but prices remain reasonable.

Among this week's other releases, we have also seen the release of the supremely elegant Branaire-Ducru, the ever-popular Langoa-Barton and the delightful bargain Capbern from the Calon-Segur stable. /NT

View the wines released so far

Offered subject to confirmation; for shipment 2021