2011 Haut Batailley
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Tasting notes
The 2011 Haut-Batailley has a backward, loamy, slightly dour nose at first, demanding a lot of encouragement from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite dense and solid, though it is missing some complexity and tension on the minty finish. But maybe in three or four years time this will mellow and have more to give? Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Oyster shells on the nose. Thick and sweet. Ambitious and dense. Somehow this manages to have more fruit than tannin or acidity. Lots of work went into this perhaps. It’s very atypical for the vintage but that’s probably a good thing. GV (JR)
Tasted at a vertical tasting at the château. The 2011 Haut Batailley has an open and expressive bouquet with blackberry and crushed stone—not as vibrant or displaying the same contrast as the 2012, but that powdered stone develops nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and satisfying fruit concentration. This is a more elegant Haut-Batailley, without the weight and concentration of the previous two vintages, but offering finesse and composure on the finish. You could actually drink this now, but it will give another 15-18 years of pleasure. Tasted July 2016.
Tasted blind. Very juicy. Not really classic Pauillac. But a fine drink with good balance! Long. (JR)
About the producer
The Cazes family – owners of Lynch-Bages and Ormes de Pez – purchased Haut-Batailley in 2017. They’ve embarked on a significant replanting programme, and exciting things are likely to come from this address with its new backing.