Château Haut-Batailley : Verso 2021

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Verso 2021 from Château Haut-Batailley

Tasting

Colour

Verso 2021 reveals a brilliant ruby colour, the sign of a wine full of vibrancy and youth.

Nose

The nose is subtly spiced, revealing lovely notes of red and black fruit that invite you to taste.

Palate

On the palate, this wine is marked by silky tannins and impressive aromatic intensity, offering an appealing balance between structure and fruit-driven generosity.

Food and Wine Pairings

Verso 2021 will pair ideally with roasted or grilled meats, such as a veal chop or a just-seared beef fillet, where its freshness and balanced tannic framework will add definition without overwhelming the flavours. It also lends itself to lovely pairings with dishes seasoned with aromatic herbs, such as roast pork with thyme and rosemary, or with Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, such as a leg of lamb with black olives. For a more informal tasting, this wine will happily accompany a board of fine charcuterie or an uncooked pressed-curd cheese such as Saint-Nectaire or a mid-aged Cantal.

Serving and Cellaring

Verso 2021 may be decanted a few moments before tasting to allow its red and black fruit aromas to fully unfold.

An elegant second wine from Pauillac with pronounced freshness

The estate

Château Haut-Batailley, an emblematic estate of the Pauillac appellation on the Left Bank of Bordeaux, saw its vineyard defined in 1942, when the original Batailley estate was divided. Owned by the Cazes family since 2017, who also run Château Lynch-Bages, the estate covers 41 hectares and is enjoying a genuine renaissance thanks to an extensive replanting programme. Its position on the border with Saint-Julien gives it a singular identity, combining the structure typical of Pauillac with remarkable elegance, embodied notably by the Tour l'Aspic, which marks the entrance to the vineyard.

The vineyard

The vineyard covers 41 hectares within the Pauillac appellation, on soils of fine Garonne gravel resting on clay subsoils. This combination provides excellent drainage as well as a fine capacity for water regulation, which is particularly valuable in a vintage marked by significant rainfall.

The wine

Verso is the Second Wine of Château Haut-Batailley.

The vintage

The 2021 growing cycle suggested an early harvest, but the weather decided otherwise. Flowering was marked by heavy rain, reducing the potential yield, while cool temperatures slowed the ripening process. At the end of September, the return of favourable weather, combined with low yields, allowed the berries to reach optimal ripeness and concentration. The harvest, which began on 27 September, involved a triple selective sorting in the vineyard, then before and after destemming; the Merlots were picked over 5 days, and the Cabernets over 7 days, until 9 October.

Winemaking and ageing

The grapes, harvested by hand, underwent rigorous selective sorting in the vineyard and on the sorting table. Maceration lasted 3 weeks, punctuated by successive pumping-over and délestage operations, followed by malolactic fermentation in tanks. Verso 2021 was then aged for 12 months in barrels, contributing to the roundness of its silky tannins and its impressive aromatic intensity.

Grape varieties

Verso 2021 is a blend of Merlot (65%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (35%).