1996 | Chteau Haut-Batailley | Pauillac

Red Wine: 1996 | Chteau Haut-Batailley | Pauillac

Deep ruby-red. Floral, spicy aromas of black cherry, licorice and shoe polish. Thick and dense, with lovely sweetness and inner-mouth flavor. Finishes thoroughly ripe, with rich, well-integrated tannins.

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Producer: Chteau Haut-Batailley

Ratings: WA | 91 WS | 90

Vintage: 1996

Size: 750ml

ABV: 13%

Varietal: Bordeaux Blend Red

Country/Region: France, Bordeaux

Deep ruby-red. Floral, spicy aromas of black cherry, licorice and shoe polish. Thick and dense, with lovely sweetness and inner-mouth flavor. Finishes thoroughly ripe, with rich, well-integrated tannins.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The wine exhibits a dense purple color, as well as a wonderfully sweet, classic Pauillac nose of black currants and cigar box notes. Powerful for Haut-Batailley (normally a light, elegant, supple Pauillac), the 1996 possesses intense fruit, medium to full body, ripe tannin, and a surprisingly long, layered finish. This appears to be a classic, and may merit an outstanding score.

• Wine Spectator: Aromas of blackberries and cassis, with hints of toasted oak. Full-bodied, chewy and rich. Needs time.

Producer Information

Chteau Haut-Batailley is a wine estate in the Pauillac appellation in the Mdoc area, north of Bordeaux city and on the left bank of the Garonne estuary. It is one of 18 estates with the status of Fifth Growth, awarded from the 1855 classification of Bordeaux. The chteau building, which is constructed in an almost rustic, Basque style, sits at the southwestern end of the appellation area, roughly two kilometers (1.2 miles) or so due west of Chteau Latour and Chteau Pichon Longueville-Baron. The estate was once a part of the larger, neighboring, Chteau Batailley which sits just to the north of Haut-Batailley. Batailley was bought in 1932 by the brothers Franois and Marcel Borie, who divided it in two in 1942 to avoid conflict in inheritance. Franois took the smaller property that did not include the physical chteau and named the estate Haut-Batailley. He increased the size of the estate by buying vineyards, including purchases of plots in 1951 from the Fourth Growth Chteau Duhart-Milon. Chteau Haut-Batailley is now 22 hectares (55 acres) planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon as is typical of Left Bank Bordeaux. Merlot and Cabernet Franc are blended in the final cuve but planted in smaller parcels. The grand vin is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux red blend, with a production close to 10,000 cases annually. The second wine is the Tour l’Aspic, named for the white tower in the vineyards on the property, constructed by the Averous sisters (whose family originally held the property in the 19th Century). The tower is also depicted on the label and La Tour l’Aspic has a production of roughly 1700 cases. The Borie family also owns the Second Growth Chteau Ducru-Beaucaillou in Saint-Julien, and the Fifth Growth Chteau Grand-Puy-Lacoste, also in Pauillac.