As usual, the 2009 Haut-Batailley is a delicate, finesse-styled wine exhibiting a dense ruby/purple color as well as plenty of sweet black cherry, mulberry and wild mountain berry fruit intermixed with notes of foresty underbrush. Medium-bodied with good purity, sweet tannin and a forward, almost St.-Julien-like personality, it can be enjoyed over the next 15+ years.
Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #199, Feb 2012)
The 2009 Haut-Batailley is statesmanlike and beautifully defined on the nose with mineral-rich black fruit, Cuban cigar and mint aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, clean and precise yet unequivocally backward and almost surly towards the grippy, saline, mineral-driven finish. This is an outstanding Pauillac in 2009 and undoubtedly this is the best bottle that I have encountered. - vinous.com, March 2019
Currants and blackberries, with hints of sliced Shitake mushrooms on the nose. Full body, with a solid core of ripe fruit and velvety tannins. Balanced and juicy. Try in 2018.
Medium/full bodied, bright, earthy and loaded with cedar, tobacco leaf, spice and crisp red fruits, the wine is energetic, fresh and crisp. Classic in style, this could improve with another 5 years or so in the cellar. Tasted Sept 2019
Individual judge’s scores: SB 19 AG 19 SS 18.5 Owned by the Borie family, this is the sister château of the better known, more highly regarded Grand-Puy-Lacoste (see left). It generally has less structure than the latter, and is aged in a lesser proportion of new oak. The wine was often undistinguished in the past, but the last decade has seen a big step up in quality and consistency. The 2009 has always been splendid so it’s not a huge shock to find it equal to its sister estate here, but perhaps in 15 years their differences in quality and style will be more marked. Stephen Brook
Stern, brooding black fruits nose, with ample oak. Voluptuous fruit, highly concentrated, with assertive but not tough tannins. This is built for the long haul and lacks immediate charm, but shows remarkable depth of fruit and intensity. Sufficient grip to ensure a long evolution. Not showy or exuberant, but has immense reserve and potential. Very long. Alun Griffiths MW
Gorgeous, inviting nose of creamy blackcurrant and plum. Dense and concentrated palate but with no lack of elegance. Oak totally subsumed, tannins present but very ripe. Fine wine with bags of ageing potential. Steven Spurrier
Fine, deep and elegant cassis nose. Good concentration, all elegance and natural ripeness, extraordinarily smooth at this stage, but the tannins are there to back it up – perfect texture. Still young but a great future. Drinking Window: 2016 - 2040
Tasted by: Stephen Brook, Alun Griffiths MW, Steven Spurrier
Part of Medoc crus classes 2009
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