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27th March 2020
Time to drink the good stuff like there’s no tomorrow* #9
Château Batailley 1990
Pauillac, Bordeaux 13.5%
I am a big fan of mature Bordeaux, and also of Chateau Batailley. This Fifth Growth has always offered excellent value and a real insight into the quality and style of the Pauillac Appellation, at the centre of which it is located.
There is a relatively chunky 25% Merlot in the vineyards, which fleshes out the graphite-y black fruit of the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Thirty years have produced the mouthcoating patina of age - beeswax polish and old books, both to scent and to taste. The fruit is dried and prune-like without any raisiny flavours of the (warm) vintage.
In fact there is a fresh leafiness and elegance to the palate, which is something Batailley always has, but is often obscured by the powerful tannins that the site produces. After all this time, however, the tannins have completely subsided and softened. Instead of bitterness, they give a dry grainy texture to the palate.
This is classy, soave and refined. And a little dangerously easy to drink!
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*There might be no tomorrow.
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