Château Batailley 2021 Pauillac (75cl, 13%)

A red wine from Pauillac made from 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, from vines averaging about 50 years old. Each grape variety and parcel was vinified separately. Fermentation lasted 25 days at a cool temperature in temperature-controlled steel tanks, followed by malolactic fermentation. The wine then matured for 18 months in 225-litre French oak barrels, 55% of them new. It has a deep ruby-red colour with intense, spicy and dark notes of blackberry, chocolate and cedar. The palate is concentrated, with complexity, purity and fullness, and mature tannins matched by a meaty, creamy, long finish. It has considerable ageing potential. Serve at 16-17°C with red meat, game or lamb, or with a mature red mould cheese, in large glasses.