Château Haut-Batailley 2018

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.

The flagship 2018 Château Haut-Batailley checks in 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot that was brought up in 60% new French oak. It's another deeply hued, classic Pauillac in the vintage that has wonderful purity as well as loads of ripe blackberry and currant fruits, medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful aromas and flavors of graphite, cedarwood, and tobacco, building yet polished tannins, background oak, and a great finish. This pure, classic Pauillac needs 7-8 years of bottle age (it will certainly offer pleasure earlier) and will drink fabulously well for over two decades.

Blended of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot aging in 60% new barriques, the 2018 Haut Batailley is very deep purple-black in color and takes some coaxing to reveal profound notes of dark chocolate, crème de cassis, blueberry pie and anise with waves of raspberry pie, lavender and Indian spices. Full, very tightly would and jam-packed with layers of crunchy black and blue fruits, it has a firm line of ripe, grainy tannins and compelling freshness, finishing long with a mineral hint coming through.

This is a lovely wine from the second vintage under Lynch Bages’ ownership, full of power and poise and controlled precision. It has a slightly unusual blend owing to a greater proportion of Merlot than has been used in previous vintages, but it doesn't suffer in terms of concentration due to the thick skins and structure of the Merlots in 2018, and what you get instead is a creamy, velvety texture through the mid palate.It has lots of tannins but they have the enrobed quality that comes from the higher than usual alcohols, and are extremely seductive. It’s more lightly framed than the Lynch Bages, as it was in 2017, and is enjoyable. 3.61pH. 81IPT.