WineLovers Discussion Group

Shared a couple of bottles at the local watering hole last night, chosen for being fully mature.

1988 Ch. Batailley – very nice claret nose on this one with wood, some smoke and vanilla blended. Medium body, no tannins present, good acidity, medium length. decent luncheon weight claret that needs drinking up but acquitted itself well.

1988 Ch. Haut Bailly – over to Graves for the second wine, and it showed a much bigger darker nose with plumy fruit and a cocoa element. Bigger in the mouth, still showing some soft tannins, and decent length. In good shape, should be drunk, but not as much rush as the previous wine.

Drunk with steak tartare and frites, and a nice filet cooked 'bleu'.

I have some fond memories of Chateau Batailley. It was for several years a go-to Haut-Medoc for me, hitting all my then sweet spots. The '88 was one of them that I chugged several bottles of---partly because I could get it at (even then) remarkably good prices) and partly because it was so familiar and reliable.

Hasn't lasted in my cellar, but then few things do. Never would have held the '88 Batailley this long in any case. So thanks for the memories, which, unlike the wine you had, are not at all faded.