2010 Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Wonderful spice fragrance; tender, chewy black fruit and a bitter chocolate character. Dry, rounded, firm and balanced. Very satisfying.Drink 2016 - 2031richard_hemming_mw, JancisRobinson.com (December 2014)

This is firm and structured with blueberry and hazelnut character. Full body, with fine tannins and a juicy finish. So long and pretty. Wonderful texture. Better after 2017james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (February 2013)

Tasted at a vertical tasting at the chteau. The 2010 Haut Batailley is beginning to reach the potential I enthused about when I first tasted this from barrel. Much like the 2009 Haut-Batailley, it has a very expressive bouquet that needs a lot of coaxing from the glass. And like many 2010s it is a broody bugger, stubborn and obdurate but when you get to the palate...this is where the action is! This is where the quality positively shines through with very fine tannin: extremely pure fruit, a judicious touch of spice and a long and tender finish that is seamless. It needs 8-10 years for those aromatics to open but judging by the quality of the palate, it will be worth the wait. Tasted July 2016.Neil Martin - 30/06/2017

Very good depth of elegant Cabernet fruit and lovely fragrance and lift, a perfectly poised Haut-Batailley.

The 2010 Ch. Haut Batailley is a ripe wine, with a lovely beam of cassis and blackberry well-harnessed by seamless acidity. The rounded, enticing finish has a dash of toasty vanilla that's well-embedded. (james_molesworth – The Wine Spectator –Mar 2011)

Sexy creme de cassis notes along with a big kiss of cedar wood, spice box and licorice are all present in this dense, ruby/purple-colored wine, which is lush and silky smooth, with opulence and early appeal. It can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years. Owned by Xavier Borie, the proprietor of the better-known Grand Puy Lacoste, this 2010 is a beauty and one of the strongest efforts he’s produced over recent years. (91 robert_parker- Wine Advocate- Feb 2013) This is always the most St.-Julien-like of the Pauillacs (although occasionally Pichon-Lalande possesses a suave, St.-Julian character and less power than many Pauillacs). The dark ruby/purple-hued 2010 reveals sweet aromas of red and black currants, cedar and spicy background oak. It is an attractive, elegant, mid-weight wine with polished tannins as well as a restrained style. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. (88-90 robert_parker- Wine Advocate- May 2011)

Wonderfully elegant expression of Pauillac Cabernet, just pure, refined fruit reserved for the future. This is all sophisticated elegance for a great future.Drink 2017 - 2040Steven Spurrier, Stephen Brook, Michael Schuster, Decanter.com (January 2014)