CHÂTEAU BATAILLEY

2018 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac

EN PRIMEUR

A perennial favourite among claret lovers, this 2018 Batailley will offer plenty of pleasure from 2024 onwards. The dark berry fruit is soft and easy. The tannins don't overpower and there is just enough freshness to give it all energy. This isn't the most concentrated or refined Pauillac from 2018 but it will probably drink earlier than many of its peers and is very unlikely to disappoint. Drinking range: 2024 - 2030L&S (Apr 2019)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

The Castéja family, headed up by Philippe and his son Frédéric, make elegant, finessed and intensely 'Pauillac' signature wines at Batailley, and I recommend this estate in 2018 for its deft handling of the vintage. Concentrated cassis and blackberry fruits, with a precision and well-cut heft to the tannins. Will age well, and be ready to go in four or five years. 60% new oak. 52hl/h. Tasted twice. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Oct 2021)

The 2018 Batailley, matured in 60% new oak, is almost identical on the nose as I found it in barrel, decked out with attractive black cherries and cassis notes, the cedar element a little heightened and freshly rolled tobacco notes developing with aeration. Very fine delineation here, and the oak is well integrated. The balanced palate offers fine tannins that frame the blackberry and bilberry fruit. The salinity comes through nicely on the finish, which is less silky than before, but it waves adieu with a long spicy aftertaste. Very fine and very Batailley. Drinking range: 2023 - 2042 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)

Aromas of blackberry, cocoa, oyster shell, graphite and black tea. Lead pencil, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Structured and intense. Tight and precise. Needs a few years to soften and open. Try from 2025. Rating: 95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)

Youthfully compact, with the core of black currant, blackberry and black cherry paste flavors still coiled up. There's a sturdy backdrop of singed alder, warm earth and smoldering cast iron that give it an old school touch. Structure is ripe and energetic too. Really well built. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drinking range: 2024 - 2036 Rating: 93 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2021)

The 2018 Batailley is deep garnet-purple in color and offers up bright Morello cherries, black raspberries and redcurrant notes over a cassis and plum preserves core with a waft of dried mint. Full-bodied with a good core of juicy fruit, it has approachable, ripe tannins and a lively lift to the finish. Rating: 92-94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)

Black core, purple rim. Cedary blackcurrant and already quite expressive. A note of dark chocolate over the fruit. Surprisingly smooth tannins, obviously carefully handled. Still chewy but not tough. Should come together. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)

This is very structured and dense with lots of fruit and tannin, yet it’s tight and long. Linear and racy. Muscular. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)

The 2018 Batailley is powerful and resonant in the glass, with terrific textural richness and plenty of underlying structure as well. Lavender, rose petal, mint and spice infuse a rich, sumptuous Pauillac loaded with personality. Tasted two times. Rating: 91-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2019)

The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, with an alcohol of 14%. The yields are a striking 52 hl/ha, so presumably the approach here to mildew was full-on. It is dark and grained, with a lightly toasted character on the nose, with notes of grilled black cherry, the overarching style confident and sweet. The palate shows a very fine substance, rich and broad, with notes of blackcurrant, praline and some peppery nuances, along with great energy. In the end this is fresh, broad, grippy and cool. A hugely impressive Pauillac, brimming with tannic energy and potential. Well done. The élevage is in 60% new oak and 40% second-fill barrels. Rating: 93-95 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)

This is an open style that displays a black fruit flavor and soft tannins. Its berry flavors and ripe fruitiness are full integrated with the spice tone and bright acidity. Look for this wine to age well over the next 10 years. Rating: 93 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.