2003 Château Batailley

(a roughly 75/25 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, but also includes bits of cabernet franc and petit verdot) Bright ruby-red. Pure aromas of cassis, blueberry, kirsch, violet, licorice, menthol and graphite. Juicy and penetrating, with dark berry, mineral and graphite flavors. Lovely ripe acidity gives this well-stuffed wine excellent clarity and grip. Finishes with sneaky length, the firm but ripe tannins spreading out to coat the palate. Offers unusually strong potential for this wine.

Author: Stephen Tanzer

Issue: May/June 2004

Aromas of blackberry and currant with hints of toasted oak. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a medium finish. 16,665 cases made.

Author: James Suckling

Dark ruby/purple with hints of melted licorice, underbrush, black currants, and cedar, this is a surprisingly elegant, mid-weight Medoc with relatively high tannins, old-style, classic austerity, and the need for some bottle age. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-16 years.

Author: Robert Parker

Very dark. Warm berries on the nose. Very fresh and lively for the vintage with hardly any dry tannins. Well done! Rewarding, juicy. Cool fermentation nad not much extraction.

Author: Jancis Robinson