Haut Batailley 2017 (750ML)

94 VM / 93 JS / 93+ JD / 92 DE / 92 WS

The 2017 Haut-Batailley is powerful, dark and racy. Dark cherry, gravel, smoke, menthol, licorice and spice all pulse with notable energy and tons of Cabernet Sauvignon savoriness. For such a big wine, Haut-Batailley has quite a bit of nuance, but it is the sense of vibrancy here that is compelling. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Lovely perfumes and currants with graphite and light herbs. Medium to full body. Creamy tannins. Soft and elegant and creamy at the end. Finesse. A blend of 66% cabernet sauvignon and 34% merlot. Drink in 2022. - James Suckling

The 2017 Chateau Haut-Batailley checks in as 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot, aged in 60% new barrels. This smoking wine has loads of blackcurrant, black cherry, unsmoked tobacco, new leather, and spice-driven aromas, with just a hint of chocolatey oak. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and balanced, with beautiful elegance, it shows the classic style of the vintage and will evolve for 20-25 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

The first year under the Cazes family, and we can expect big changes over the next few years with an extensive replanting programme planned. But for now, let's look at 2017, where production has been split 33% second wine and 66% grand vin, with no frost to hamper them. It's rich and deep, with a sense of forward motion and flexible tannins pushing the cassis fruit from start to finish, joined by focussed and lively brambled fruits and gentle cedar smoking. The austerity is clear, and it's a little lighter-framed than the Lynch Bages, and very different in personality, but it has real promise and I like it enormously. Expect a new label with the Tour d'Aspic tower and the JM Cazes family name. 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2025 - 2036 - Jane Anson, Decanter

The bitter plum, dark cherry and red currant fruit flavors are well-melded, carried by a racy iron streak through a finish gilded with floral and sanguine notes. Fresh and defined from start to finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2038. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator