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1997 Chateau Haut-Batailley
By Chateau Haut-Batailley
1997 Chateau Haut-Batailley from Chateau Haut-Batailley, Pauillac, Bordeaux
As we delve into the 1997 vintage, it is the Chateau Haut-Batailley from Chateau Haut-Batailley in Pauillac that intrigues, presenting a narrative steeped in the unique conditions of this particular year. The Pauillac region’s gravely soils, within the overarching grandeur of Bordeaux, are known to confer upon their wines an enviable backbone of fine tannin structure and aristocratic poise. In this respect, the 1997 vintage embraces its terroir with firm handshake.
A Vintage Speaks: The Nuances of 1997
The year 1997 was not without its climatic challenges; yet the adept vigneron knew precisely how to craft excellence from hardship. The season endured wavering conditions but concluded with an Indian summer that graciously ripened the fruit. This benevolence allowed for a more approachable character in the young wines from this period.
The 1997 Chateau Haut-Batailley is an articulate testament to its epoch. One perceives an ensemble of blackcurrant and tobacco leaf, harmoniously entwined with subtle notes of cedar and leather. These flavours are poised atop an underlying earthiness that reminds of Pauillac’s sacred connection to the land.
An Investment in Time
From an investment perspective, there lies a charm in unearthing a vintage such as '97, which at times may be shadowed by the more extolled years. It is precisely here that opportunity knocks for the astute collector—an approachable entry point into the hallowed terroir of Pauillac with the 1997 Chateau Haut-Batailley offering a nuanced complexity that only time can unfurl.
Concluding my assessment, I find that this particular vintage exemplifies resilience and unexpected delight. Holding potential for further evolution in the bottle, it presents as an engaging narrative—a 1997 chapter worth savoring as well as investing.
Market price (CAD)
$800.00
12x75cl
Highest score
86
POP score
80
Scores and tasting notes
Made in a light, finesse style, this fluid, charming, ripe, medium-bodied 1997 exhibits smoky, black currant fruit, pleasing ripeness, and attractive levels of fruit. It should be drunk over the next 5-6 years for its undeniable easy-going personality.
Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 20 April 2000