Description
Batàr was the first – and arguably still the best – white Super Tuscan. Sometimes known as the ‘white Sassicaia’, the wine is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, a percentage of which comes from clones taken from Henri Gouges’ vineyards in the Cotes de Nuits. Fermented in barriques, then wine has always been rich and complex like its namesake Batârd Montrachet. However, in recent years under the careful eye of winemaker Manfred Ing, it has moved towards a tighter, more restrained style that emphasises the altitude of the vineyard and intensity of the fruit. After celebrating its 30th anniversary last year, the wine has never been better.
Organically farmed since the wine’s first vintage in 1988 and biodynamic since 2000, the high elevation vineyards where Batàr originates are located close to the winery in Ruffoli, on the hillside of Greve in Chianti. Unrivalled textural beauty and vibrant minerality reveal gracefully over time. Burgundian in spirit, Tuscan in essence, Batàr is, without doubt, one of Italy’s iconic white wines. Reminiscent of Grand Cru Burgundy, yet with an unmistakable Tuscan authenticity, it is widely recognised as one of Italy’s greatest white wines and consistently garners accolades by critics around the world. Hugh Johnson once described it as “a dream of a white”, while Jancis Robinson quoted Batàr on her Purple Pages as “the most ambitious Pinot Blanc outside of Burgundy.”
GRAPE VARIETIES: Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco.
