Pure Pauillac (and the cheapest it’s been in a decade)
This morning sees the release of the 2023 vintage of perennial Uncorked favourite Batailley, and it’s (yet) another success for proprietor Frédéric Castéja. It’s got good tannin structure, and a surprising freshness. It’s muscular and pure, and very Pauillac. It opens on dark fruit, and after a bit of cellar time that will expand through layers of cedar and tobacco. It finishes on a gravelly note. That should be no surprise - the Batailley plateau sits on extremely deep gravel beds.
Recent vintages have seen Batailley adopt finer tannins and a little more gloss. Pruning has been adapted, yields have been reduced, and the introduction of a second wine (Lions de Batailley) has enabled more selection. In the cellar, the number of steel and cement vats has doubled (from 30 to 60) to enable much more precise vinification. Latterly the chateau has also adopted a relatively warm four-week post-fermentation maceration, to encourage more supple tannin extraction, while building body. It’s still quintessential Pauillac, it’s just more skilfully done than ever. And it’s also worth noting that today’s release price of £162 is the cheapest for 10 years. /NT
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Offered subject to remaining unsold; for shipment Spring 2026
