The 2016 Batailley just screams "Pauillac" on the nose - it could not come from anywhere else. Lovely tobacco and pencil box notes infuse the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with smooth tannin and a fine bead of acidity. Harmonious and less rustic than the Batailley of yesteryear, while maintaining its classic DNA. This is a superb wine from the Castèja family and should give many years of pleasure after several years in the cellar. 94 points

The 2016 Batailley is a blend of 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 85% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped at 50h hectoliters per hectare. Matured in 60% new oak. It has an intense graphite infused bouquet with fine delineation, some freshly picked Pauillac mint coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin that grip the mouth insistently; with graphite and tobacco-infused black fruit dominating, this a classically styled Batailley in the vein of previous vintages with the elegance coming through towards the finish. This i along. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 12% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, and a pH of 3.6. Wonderfully deep fruit flavours of blackberry and crushed cassis reside against black chocolate and well contained tannins. A lovely vintage that has power but is just the right side of big extraction. Good persistency with a coffee-scented finish. This is a buy, for sure. 93 points