2006 Chateau Haut-Batailley
By Chateau Haut-Batailley
2006 Chateau Haut-Batailley from Chateau Haut-Batailley, Pauillac, Bordeaux
The 2006 vintage from Chateau Haut-Batailley reveals itself as a quintessential exemplar of Pauillac's famed resilience and grace under the challenges presented by an erratic growing season. My own inspection transcends mere appreciation, settling into reverence for the astonishingly nuanced tapestry of flavours that have been artfully invoked through rigorous viticulture and judicious oenology.
Complexity and Balance: The Hallmark of Investable Grandeur
In considering the prospects for wine investment, one must approach with a mixture of sagacious analysis and an appreciation of the subtler virtues that elevate a good wine to greatness. The 2006 Chateau Haut-Batailley from Chateau Haut-Batailley offers a compelling argument for both. Through the vagaries of its year - a cooler summer followed by an Indian summer just before harvest - this Pauillac has managed to express the profound depths one expects from the region.
An Appraisal of Climate and Character
The peculiarities of the 2006 season in Bordeaux required diligence in vineyard management to ensure opulence alongside structure. As such, the wine presents with a dignified complexity, its dark fruit core gracefully wrapped in refined tannins and whispered suggestions of tobacco and cedar that resonate with classic Pauillac typicity yet are imbued with an individual distinctiveness born of this vintage's unique conditions.
This remarkable 2006 release embodies old-world sophistication with just enough tension provided by the climate to produce a memorable experience on the palate. It is the sort of transcendent quality that astute investors look to capture, recognising not only its current achievement but also its future promise as it continues a noble development in cellar repose.
In summation, the 2006 Chateau Haut-Batailley from Chateau Haut-Batailley stands as one of the more intriguing prospects for connoisseurs looking to diversify their portfolio with wines that tell a story not just of place, but also of time. Those who elect to invest in this potent expression are themselves partaking in Bordeaux's rich tapestry, and in doing so, secure a slice of enological history sure to elicit envy as it matures to its magnificent apex.
Market price (GBP)
£630.00
12x75cl
Highest score
91
POP score
57.27
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted at a vertical tasting at the château. The 2006 Haut Batailley is a wine that I have always appreciated and at ten years of age, I have no reason to change that view. It has a such a lively and vivacious bouquet, especially when compared to the sultrier (if ultimately superior 2005 Haut-Batailley). The palate is underpinned by very fine tannin, the acidity quite noticeable but simply lending freshness and tension. There is a sense of this being a Pauillac that is tightly coiled and there is a lot of energy on the finish. This is a great success for the vintage, but if you can wait another couple of years, it should manifest more intriguing secondary notes and turn into a more interesting Pauillac. Tasted July 2016.
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 30 June 2017