CHÂTEAU BATAILLEY
2020 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Good open aromatics jump out of the glass. Soft plums and whiff of cedar wood on the nose. Bright on palate - good frame. Claretty, nicely upright, but soft flesh too. More blackberries and purple fruit. Some damson and darker notes on the back end. Tar and stone too but then some riper fruit lines come though. Nice gently sweet feel of deep red compote on the finish. Very Pauillac and quite restrained really, but showing some proper class. This is what Batailley does so well - classic but charming.
It was very dry from mid June to Mid August. Not a drop of rain fell and you can sense that heat in the fruit feel and concentration somewhat, but it is not overdone. This is attractive. Fine tannins build quite gracefully but lots of ripe and intense fruit too.
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.L&S (May 2021)
* 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.
Market Insight: Batailley always make you feel intelligent for buying En Primeur, then opening it in 10 years when it's almost twice the price. Stack a few cases in the cellar, forget about them and be overjoyed when you open them in a decade. L&S (May 2021)
Takes its time to unroll then shows sweetness to the black cherry and brambled blackberries fruits, followed by cigar, pencil lead and crushed stone. This is signature Batailley in that it has that essence-of-Pauillac feel. A delicious wine, such a great great drinking claret, really one to look out for in this vintage; already looking forward to drinking this in 10 years time. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 60% new oak. A yield of 42hl/ha. Drinking range: 2028 - 2042 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
This is classically structured with a wonderful finish of extremely polished tannins and an ultra long finish. So much blackcurrant, spice and cedar. Seamless. 70% cabernet sauvignon and 26% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Dark fruit with cassis notes and a graphite edge. Fine attack, juicy and refreshing but backed by a firmness of structure behind. Solid, subdued and distinctly Pauillac. Still relative value. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 17 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Beautiful intense garnet colour. Very aromatic, with intense notes of fruits and a few subtle notes of spice and cedar, it is a very typical Batailley exhibiting a perfect balance with a supple texture backed by an impressive tannic structure. The mid palate is dense and long, the finish is structured and persistent. (Axel Marchal, Doctor of OEnology)Winemaker's notes (May 2021)
The 2020 Batailley is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, aging for 12-14 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. The alcohol is 13.5%. Deep purple-black in color, it offers up notes of fresh blackberries, kirsch and cassis, leading to nuances of pencil shavings, dried Mediterranean herbs and fertile loam. The medium-bodied palate has well-managed, lightly chewy tannins with just enough freshness and straightforward black fruits, finishing with an herbal lift. Drinking range: 2024 - 2037 Rating: (89 - 91)+ L&S (May 2021)
Aromas of black and red currants as well as orange. Ink pot. Cassis bush. Bramble berry. Graphite. Full-bodied yet tight and back-loaded with intense tannins, but they turn soft and polished. Very classic structure. Reminds me of a top Batailley from the 1980s, like 1985, but much more precise and clear. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 2% petit verdot, and 2% cabernet franc. Try after 2030. Rating: 95-100 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
The 2020 Batailley has a well-defined bouquet with quite precocious blackberry and raspberry fruit, graphite, just a hint of aniseed, very nicely focused and poised. The palate is medium-bodied with tensile black fruit and armed with commendable salinity and a very detailed finish that lingers in the mouth. Want a classically-styled Pauillac at a good value? Look no further. Drinking range: 2028 - 2055 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
A lovely Batailley with harmony and also tension in fabulous equilibrium, this is a delicious wine with mulberry tones in among the blackcurrant theme. The oak is spot on and the tannin is, too, and so this makes Batailley a jolly nice wine in this vintage and I think it will age beautifully, too. Rating: 17.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Batailley is a potent, rustic Pauillac with huge tannins that clamp down on the mid-palate. Super-ripe black cherry fruit pushes through as the 2020 struggles to open. Today the aromatics are muted while the fruit profile and tannins suggest summer heat was a challenge. Drinking range: 2030 - 2045 Rating: 88-90 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Batailley is quintessential Pauillac on the nose of very focused black fruit infused with cedar and graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grippy tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Classic in style, this is lightly spiced, showing impressive depth toward the finish. This estate has enjoyed a good run of form in recent years and this 2020 continues that trend. If you love the style of Batailley, you will love this. Drinking range: 2028 - 2055 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
Château Batailley
Pauillac Cinquième cru 1855 The name "Batailley" appears to be derived from a battle that occured on the sight in 1453 during the Hundred Years War. During the early 19th Century, Batailley was owned by Daniel Guestier who did much to raise the reputation of the estate such that it was rated a 5th Growth in the 1855 classification. Batailley was purchased in 1932 by François and Marcel Borie who divided the estate between themselves in 1942, with François taking the half that became Haut Batailley and Marcel continuing as Batailley. Marcel's daughter married into the Castéja family, who own Batailley to this day. The two Batailleys are in the south of Pauillac, a little way inland from the Pichons. The 57ha of vines are planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Wines spend up to 18 months is wood, with 55% being new every year.
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.