CHÂTEAU BATAILLEY
2023 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Good classical frame here. Upright and smartly 'claretty'. The nose is awash with deep plum, dark cherry flesh and intriguing scent of a fine church. Subtly toasty wood. The palate follows - with density and a firmish feel to the cool dark berry fruit. This will need more time than some - but its all here for the future. Classical, pure and long. 57% new barrels, 43% in second-fill barrels.L&S (Apr 2024)
75cl bottles (wood case of 6)
* 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.
You want to know what Pauillac tastes like, roll up and enjoy this vintage of Batailley. Squid ink, slate, cassis, bilberry, slate, crayon, black chocolate, plenty of tannic grip, a smudge of grilled cedar oak and a squeeze of mint, it's all here. 57% new oak for ageing. Harvest September 12 through to October 5, Axel Marchal consultant, Philippe and Frederic Castéja owners Drinking range: 2032 - 2048 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2024)
Beautiful fruit with currants and blackberries, as well as notes of walnuts and chocolate. So much blackberry fruit here. Aromatic. Medium- to full-bodied with very fine tannins on the deep and structured palate. Racy and long finish. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot and 2% petit verdot. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
The 2023 Batailley is an ample, large-scaled Pauillac. Even so, I find it quite restrained and not particularly expressive at this stage. There's good vibrancy to the red-toned fruit. Hopefully élevage will do the trick here. Drinking range: 2028 - 2048 Rating: 90-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
The grand vin is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, with a yield of about 48 hl/ha. Very Cabernet dominant, and this shows with a nose of sweetly perfumed and lightly smoked fruits, with wild berries and blackcurrants. The palate is toothsome and tantalising, with currant, blackberry and olive flavours, all infused with a confident application of oak. This is set within a rather supple texture, underneath which there is a rich seam of tightly knit and velvety tannins and integrated, balanced acidity. Freshness and richness in balance, with integrated structure, perfumed black fruits and bright aromatics, this has an classically structured feel and should evolve well. A wine for Bordeaux drinkers here – load up. Tasted twice. The alcohol is about 13.5%. Rating: 92-94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
The 2023 Batailley was picked September 12 to October 5 at around 49hL/ha, matured in 57% new oak. It has an elegant and understated bouquet compared to the previous vintage, as with all châteaux, well-defined, with a light estuarine influence emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. It’s very bright and fresh and there’s plenty of fruit here. A deft, harmonious finish lingers in the mouth. This is an excellent Batailley. Drinking range: 2028 - 2052 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)
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 2023 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. 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 2026. 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.