Château Haut-Batailley : Verso 2018

Bright, unadorned cassis and cherry purée notes stream through, with light savory and iron hints along the way. Fresh finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2024.

A little austere and closed right now, not giving much, but there are plenty of firm tannins and well-defined blackberry fruit, held in place by a tannic frame that has Pauillac character. Feels subdued but with potential.

The 2018 Verso is laced with copious blue/black fruits, spice, new leather, smoke and lavender. Élevage has softened some of the angular contours that were present en primeur. Overall, though, Verso remains a bit on the burly side. I would prefer to drink it over the next decade or so.

Dark ruby, purple reflections with a delicate ochre rim. The nose is underpinned by fine herbal savouriness, black forest berries, and notes of smoky cassis, liquorice, and wood. Taut and elegant, with fine ripe fruit, black cherry, ripe tannins, and length, with delicate nougat on the finish. Already accessible and showing some maturity, yet still offers plenty of ageing potential.

First created in 2017, Château Haut-Batailley Verso is the new second wine of the estate, now run by the talented team at Lynch-Bages. The 2018 Château Haut-Batailley Verso has a complex, nuanced, approachable style with classic Pauillac dark fruits, tobacco, lead pencil, and earthy aromas and flavors. Gorgeously fruited, succulent, and seamless, it nevertheless has the balance, structure, and purity to age for 20 years or more.

Very different in character from the 2017, with clear vintage variation, this is full of sweet sandalwood, damson berry fruit, powerful tannic grip, and a touch of heat from the alcohol. This can be drunk now if you like a rich fruit structure, but it will benefit from a few more years in bottle. No new oak.

The 2018 Verso from Haut-Batailley has a deep garnet-purple color. It gives up notes of Morello cherries, baked plums, and crème de cassis, with hints of violets and dark chocolate. Medium-bodied, the palate is delicately crafted with seamless freshness and fine-grained tannins, finishing on a lingering red berry note.