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Haut Batailley 2006

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Haut-Batailley

Label

Tasting Notes

This property, while in the Pauillac appellation, seems to be more St.-Julien-like in most vintages. With silky tannins, its sweet berry-scented nose intermixed with some forest floor and underbrush offer impressive aromatics. The wine is medium-bodied, with silky, noble sweetness, and a fine, pure finish. It should drink well for 12-15+ years.

89
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (181), February 2009

Tasted at a vertical tasting at the château. The 2006 Haut Batailley is a wine that I have always appreciated and at ten years of age, I have no reason to change that view. It has a such a lively and vivacious bouquet, especially when compared to the sultrier (if ultimately superior 2005 Haut-Batailley). The palate is underpinned by very fine tannin, the acidity quite noticeable but simply lending freshness and tension. There is a sense of this being a Pauillac that is tightly coiled and there is a lot of energy on the finish. This is a great success for the vintage, but if you can wait another couple of years, it should manifest more intriguing secondary notes and turn into a more interesting Pauillac. Tasted July 2016.
Drink Date 2018 - 2035

91
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (231), June 2017

Fresh and fruity, with good acidity and a clean berry aftertaste. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a medium finish. Long. Very good for the vintage.

89/91
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, March 2007

75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot. 60% new oak.
Very deep crimson right out to the rim. Very delicate and singing dark red fruit. Not big but quite excessively juicy. Sweet and round with the tannins in very good balance. Crunchy juicy fruit. Well done! Really lively. Not for the very long term and a little fade on the finish but terribly pretty. Beware the drinking dates - to be read with the score. If one were cruel one would call it Pauillac Lite but it should certainly be a pleasure to drink. Well restrained.

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2007

Good dark, bright red. Aromas of currant, smoke, minerals, licorice and dried flowers. Suave on entry, then supple and sweet in the middle, with Pauillac-typical flavors of currant, iron, fresh herbs and tobacco leaf. An understated wine, dry but not austere. Today a peppery element shortens the wine's finish.

88
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, June 2009
Read more tasting notes...

This feminine-styled wine is more similar to a St.-Julien than a Pauillac. A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot, the deep ruby/purple-tinged 2006 Haut-Batailley offers up sweet aromas of black cherries, licorice, currants, and a hint of underbrush along with a silky texture. Xavier Borie has been upgrading the quality at this estate over the last several years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020.

89/91
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (170), April 2007

The 2006 Château Haut-Batailley has a classic cedar and tobacco-scented bouquet with pleasing earthy blackberry fruit tinged with wild hedgerow, gaining more intensity as it opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannin, a gentle grip in the mouth, a touch of spice with a structured, almost Lynch-Bages-like finish. This is a thoroughly enjoyable Pauillac, although it still needs another 2-3 years in bottle.

91
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, May 2016

Tasted at Grand-Puy Lacoste. Very deep black purple hue. The nose is intense and well defined with sweet black cherries, plum and gravel: very pure. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with a vibrant minerally heart and good acidity. Well-defined structure, very focused, no frill Cabernet Sauvignon that has been picked at optimal ripeness. Crisp, almost clinical finish. A superb Haut Batailley. Tasted April 2007.

90/92
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2007

Good deep, bright ruby. Sexy aromas of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate and minerals. Bright, penetrating and a bit youthfully austere, with excellent definition to its flavors of black fruits, licorice and minerals; slightly spiky acidity. Not a fleshy style, but spreads out nicely on the back end, showing lovely incipient complexity. Finishes with good length and dusty tannins. This will require five or six years of bottle aging.

88/89
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, June 2008
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.