Deep ruby; tight rim. Intense nose of black fruit, violets, sweet vanilla, roasted coffee, and undertones of leather and smoked meat. The taste is lighter and fresher than the nose, so there are fresh cassis and plum juicy, other blue and black fruit bursting through the mid-palate, followed by tones of chocolate, textured tannins, and coffee beans.
Approachable now but will age for some years, the tannins are sweet, and the wine has weight, density, opulence and richness that is rare for a Médoc in 2006. Grand Vin is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot designed for some complexities.
2006 is a good and ripe vintage with certain rigidities. Parket et al. say the drinking window is from 2019 - 2040; James Suckling writes the optimum time to crack a bottle was from 2019 to 2030. So, there are lots of mileage.
Chateau Batailley is one of the oldest estates in the Médoc. The name derived from the battle ("Bataille") - where the chateau and vineyard are today - during the 100-year war in 1452. In this battle, the French re-conquered the neighbouring Chateau Latour from the English, a crucial point in the history of Aquitaine.
Does it matter who won the battle? Knighted by Napolean III as the 5th Growth of 1855, Chateau Batailley may not have the elegance of the British Chateau Latour from the First Growth. But it is now very well made, keeps improving, and has been well-liked by the drinkers, novice and seasoned alike with its high cost-performance. Chateau Batailley is never the most stylish Pauillac, but its reputation for consistent quality and good value makes it one of the most famous wines in the Hong Kong market.
Reflecting the quest for quality, scores are consistent, such as RP91, who comments, "The 2006 Château Batailley has much more fruit intensity than Lynch Moussas: vibrant blackberry, raspberry coulis and cedar scents all vying for attention, the oak neatly assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe red berry fruit, a gentle grip in the mouth and a pleasing, ferrous finish. Give this another three years+ in the bottle, and you will have a very fine Batailley." Edited.
Deep ruby colour with a tight rim. Still unyielding. A fresh first nose of framboise cherries. red plums. Tones of coffee, blackberry, black truffle, earthy, wood spice in the second. Quite a board spectrum- seems classy. The palate is a rough start, the evening turning sweetish with softer tannins. There seem to be two camps of view: WE and RP like the sweetness and mileage, skew toward the preference of this Prieure Lichine 2006 as a good food wine with power and mid-palate. In the other camp, NM, JS, Gilbert & Gaillard think the wine falls short of elegance on the palate, comparing it to the other finer Margaux Cru. We find certain rigidity within this 2006 beneath the flashy, new wave style, it has the warmth and fullness on the palate.
90 points Robert Parker: "With the highly respected Right Bank consultant Stephane Derenoncourt providing advice, Prieure-Lichine has moved to a complete, savoury, and for lack of a better description, broad, lush, sexy style. This has always been a drinkable wine at an early age, but I think they are building more texture and flesh into the wine and more concentration without losing the estate’s early appeal. 2006 is an outstanding wine, with complex notes of spring flowers, forest floor, sweet black currants, and earth. Medium to full-bodied, flavorful, without a trace of astringency or hardness, this is a succulent, fleshy wine to drink over the next 15 or more years." (02/09) 89 points Wine Spectator: "Blackberry, currant and mineral lead to a medium-to-full body, with ripe tannins and a caressing finish. Balanced and pretty. Best after 2013." Edited 25 July 2022.
93 points Gilbert & Gaillard. Pretty, intense colour. Fruit-driven nose with a discreet touch of wood. Still discreet. Ample attack, delicate texture, a medium strength vintage, enhanced by pleasant vivacity. Must age. Edited 27 July 2022.
Updated: Jan 16, 2023
Giscours style is quite masculine. 2008 gave a ripe merlot; tannins, and firm a la style the Commune Larbade. 80% of the Malolactic fermentation occurs in the tank, and 20% occurs in the barrel. The wine of Chateau Giscours is aged in 50% new French oak barrels for an average of 18 months. The style is pretty big. We di not tasted the wines recent, so we quote herewith the comments from international tasters:
94 points Wine Enthusiast A dense wine, powerful while also elegant. It shows all the best character of a grand Margaux, with fine tannins and dense structure. It will age well. *Cellar Selection* (RV) (4/2011). Edited.
91 points Vinous The 2008 Giscours is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Compared to 1998 and 1988, this has much more fruit and vitality on the nose: blackberry, bilberry, cedar and just a faint tang of marmalade. I like the delineation and vibrancy here. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, good fruit concentration and a fine backbone. There is a little grit embedded in the texture, slightly chalky perhaps, but I like the energy conveyed by this Giscours; it feels minerally and extended towards the finish. Very fine. (NM) (2/2018). Edited.
90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Dark plum/garnet, this elegant, medium to full-bodied, beguiling, seductive 2008 is a sleeper of the vintage. Round and silky-smooth with lovely black cherry and black currant fruit imbued with touches of smoke, herbs and earth, this relatively evolved effort is best consumed over the next 15-17 years. (RP) (5/2011).
