2022 Batailley (Commemorative Label)

The 2022 Batailley has quite a powerful bouquet with slightly blowsy black fruit, just a bit of alcohol here and the oak quite pronounced. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins and is actually much fresher and more complex than the aromatics, particularly on the finish. It just lacks a bit of sustain on the aftertaste but otherwise this is a superb Pauillac. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

The 2022 Batailley exudes a sense of precision on the nose that distinguishes it from vintages you might have found up to a decade ago. It has very focused, seamlessly integrated oak and predominantly black fruit laced with pencil shavings and cedar, rubber-stamping its Pauillac origin. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins. This is very harmonious with a smooth texture, finely pitched acidity and a slightly spicy finish that will require five or six years to soften. The Castéja family has really taken Batailley to greater heights in recent years, reliving some of the past glories like the 1947, 1955 and 1961.

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Inky crimson with a black core. Intense, pure cassis. Dark, savoury and spicy. Massively tannic so that it's quite hard to taste at the moment even if there's plenty of fruit. Embryonic, dense, long. (JH)