2009 Château Batailley, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Inky ruby. Red fruits, liquorice, dried herbs and cedary oak on the nose. Then dense and fine-grained in the mouth, with a distinctly cool quality to the blackcurrant jelly, red cherry and candied violet flavours. This rich, smooth wine boasts a lovely depth of flavour and finishes with a strong herbal aftertaste and mounting, mouthcoating tannins. A very successful Batailley to forget about in your cellar for 6 to 8 years, and then enjoy for another 15 to 20 after that.Ian D'Agata, Vinous.com.com (May 2010)

The finest Batailley I have had in many years, the dense purple-coloured 2009 exhibits a boatload of tannin as well as sweet, caramelized, black currant fruit intermixed with hints of charcoal, cedarwood and smoke, a full-bodied mouthfeel and the aforementioned high, but sweet, well-integrated tannin displaying no jaggedness. Batailley often requires considerable patience as it can be one of the longest-lived Pauillacs. Atypically for Batailley, the 2009 should be ready to drink in 5-7 years and keep for three decades.Drink 2017 - 2047Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (December 2011)

Ideal with a 2-hour carafeThis is one of my secret weapon wines, that I know will make everybody happy when it is served. Signature Pauillac, generous but still with muscular tannins, loaded up with pencil lead, slate, cassis, cedar and mint leaf, with waves of liquorice and rose aromatics that keep you coming back for more. Ready to drink but with life ahead of it.Drink 2022 - 2036jane_anson_mw, janeanson_com (November 2022)

Earthy, mushroomy, truffley notes on the nose, as well as stewed bramble fruits and a fine vein of leafy character too. Quite understated in terms of its flavour range – perhaps only just reaching its drinking window.Drink 2019 - 2029richard_hemming_mw, JancisRobinson.com (May 2019)

The 2009 Batailley seems a little closed on the nose at first and needs more encouragement than its peers, eventually unfurling with cedar and graphite-infused black fruit, slightly earthy in style. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, quite linear and poised with a touch of cracked black pepper on the finish. Excellent.Drink 2020 - 2038Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (March 2019)

A rich yet dry Pauillac that's now very attractive to drink and has a good harmony in spite of the generous alcohol. Long, supple finish. Drink or holdjames_suckling, jamessuckling_com (March 2019)

The medium to deep garnet colored 2009 Batailley has a maturing, earthy/broody nose with notions of scorched earth and sweaty leather over a core of blue and black fruit preserves, fried herbs and rusty nails. Firm and medium to full-bodied with a chewy texture, it has a rather rustic finish.Lisa Perrotti-Brown - 14/03/2019

Dense red, good leafy blackcurrant nose, good broad plummy fruit, smooth texture attractive leathery spice and good length.

Currant and blackberry on the nose, with hints of toasted oak. Full-bodied, with big, chewy tannins. This is the biggest Batailley in years. Lots of improvement here. james_suckling - Wine Spectator - April 2010

The finest Batailley I have had in many years, the dense purple-colored 2009 exhibits a boatload of tannin as well as sweet, caramelized, black currant fruit intermixed with hints of charcoal, cedarwood and smoke, a full-bodied mouthfeel and the aforementioned high, but sweet, well-integrated tannin displaying no jaggedness. Batailley often requires considerable patience as it can be one of the longest-lived Pauillacs. Atypically for Batailley, the 2009 should be ready to drink in 5-7 years and keep for three decades. robert_parker - Wine Advocate - Feb 2012