1989 Château Batailley
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Tasting notes
The 1989 Batailley is a wine that I have tasted several times. The quality is bunched up on the nose, still reminiscent of Pomerol with sloes and mocha, slightly herbaceous and loose-knit, yet attractive in its own way. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly ferrous entry and good acidity. Typical of Batailley in this era, it is a little hard and has lost some of its vigor on a finish that some might find austere. To repeat my observation of the previous bottle, the 1989 never quite takes off. Tasted from a bottle in my personal cellar.
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Well balanced, classic claret with particularly impressive persistence. (JR)
The 1989 has gone into a hard, tannic, tough stage that suggests considerable patience will be necessary. The ruby/purple color is sound, and the bouquet of toasty, smoky oak, chocolate, and super-ripe cassis is followed by a medium-bodied, rich, extracted wine with ferocious tannins and good acidity. This is a large-scaled, more traditionally-styled wine that will need at least a decade of bottle age. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2018.
A delicious '89. Ruby-colored center and a brick-red edge. Lovely ripe fruit, with hints of mushroom and earth aromas. Medium-bodied and round, sporting a lovely velvety texture.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now through 2004. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 1999
About the producer
It was on the site of Batailley in 1453 that one of the final battles (or “batailles”) of the Hundred Years’ War took place. Today owned by the Castéja family, the Fifth Growth is renowned for producing wine that is the epitome of classic Claret.