2016 Château Batailley, Pauillac, Bordeaux

The 2016 Bordeaux vintage is a watershed year. It resembled the great vintages of the 1990s and 2000s before the run of fine but hot vintages began in 2018. Its sunny, warm days and cool nights recall the great years of 2005 and 2010.

The Batailley 2016 is just on the cusp before it moves into its richer, slightly savoury stage, which comes with some bottle age. Always an earnest and broad-shouldered wine, right now, the wine has a hint of mellow fruit alongside its classic cedarwood and cassis notes, and the palate is open-textured, flavoursome and rewarding, with smooth tannins and ample intensity and length. It’s a delicious wine now, although further ageing will open and soften it further. 

Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Director, Berry Bros. & Rudd