The 2000 Haut Batailley, served by Xavier Borie at Grand-Puy-Lacoste, showed a slight herbaceous note on the nose, accompanied by cedar and graphite aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with still quite tough tannins, foursquare in style and perhaps just missing a little persistence on the finish. As a big fan of this property, perhaps I was a little underwhelmed by this example and it was shown up by the superior 1995. Tasted July 2016.
Drink Date 2016 - 2032
One of the finest Haut-Batailleys ever made (it certainly rivals the 1996), this deep ruby/purple-colored wine is a beauty. Notes of raspberries, liquified minerals, cassis, and tobacco jump from the glass of this attractive, velvety-textured wine. Some tannin is there, but it is abundantly fruity, low in acidity, and is a quintessentially elegant style of Bordeaux. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2015.
