CRITIC REVIEWS
Neal Martin
The 2020 Haut-Batailley is another Pauillac that appears to be blossoming in bottle. It has a very complex bouquet with pencil-box-infused black fruit that unfurls gracefully in the glass. Quintessential Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins, real depth and concentration and plenty of cassis toward the precocious yet controlled finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2020 Batailley is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, aging for 12-14 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. The alcohol is 13.5%. Deep purple-black in color, it offers up notes of fresh blackberries, kirsch and cassis, leading to nuances of pencil shavings, dried Mediterranean herbs and fertile loam. The medium-bodied palate has well-managed, lightly chewy tannins with just enough freshness and straightforward black fruits, finishing with an herbal lift.
JancisRobinson.com
Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Lifted and leafy black fruit. Invitingly aromatic. Darker and more savoury on the palate, the fruit intense but not really sweet, the tannins fine. Dry tannic finesse and length but oaky and oaky-sweet on the finish. (JH)