Chateau Batailley Pauillac

The name Batailley boasts a long and proud history. The vineyard sits on a plateau to the west of Mouton Rothschild and is planted in the classic Pauillac wine appellation proportions with Cabernet Sauvignon the dominant varietal. The name is said to derive from a bataille fought 600 years ago between the French and the English on the same spot as the present property.

Chateau Batailley is owned by Denise and Emile Casteja of the famous negociants, Borie-Manoux and it is their son Philippe who now runs the business. The 55 hectares of vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 25%, Cabernet Franc 3% and Petit Verdot 2%) undulate on a deep gravel bed, underpinned by a clay & limestone subsoil.

For years Batailley enjoyed a reputation as a solid, reliable, well-priced Pauillac, well-liked by the British, but rarely achieving the heights of finesse and complexity of some of the other Pauillac classed Growths. Over the last 15 years or so, however, there appears to have been a subtle change and we have noted a much greater emphasis on the quality of the fruit. The result has been wines of decidedly more finesse, but still true to their Pauillac roots. Chateau Batailley is classified as a 5th Cru Classe and is one of the best value wines in Pauillac.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot

Located in the heart of the Médoc, along the Gironde estuary, the Pauillac terroir is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Carménère and Malbec on gravel soil with varying degrees of sand.

Its proximity to the Gironde estuary allows it to have an oceanic “micro-climate” favorable to the development of vines.

Pauillac combines exceptional geological and climatic conditions, allowing its vineyard of more than 1,200 hectares to be one of the most prestigious in the world.

The vineyard is separated in two by the Gahet stream: to the north, at an altitude of 30 meters, is the Pouyalet plateau, and to the south that of Saint-Lambert.

1,200 hectares of vines produce an average of 8 million bottles each year. The Pauillac vineyard represents only 7.5% of the Médoc vineyard.

Located at the south-west end of the appellation, a few kilometers from the town of Pauillac, the 60 ha vineyard extends over soils of deep old Günz gravel, silica and sand.

The grape varieties consist of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%). The vines have an average age of 40 years and the planting density is 8,500 vines/ha.

The Château Batailley vineyard is managed according to the principles of sustainable viticulture and is certified High Environmental Value 3. Significant efforts have been made to drain the soil and control yields.

77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot.

Before harvest, we taste the grapes from all the plots to determine the optimal harvest dates. Our teams of harvesters, under the guidance of our crop managers, will harvest the plots that have reached full maturity. A first sorting is carried out directly in the vineyard by the property's teams.

When the harvest arrives at the cellars, it is sorted again, then destemmed, crushed and placed in thermoregulated stainless steel vats (100 to 130 hl). Alcoholic fermentation at low temperature (24 to 26°) then begins very quickly in order to transform the sugar into alcohol.

After the alcoholic fermentation, we do a hot post-fermentation maceration (30 to 32°) to refine the tannins. Depending on the tasting, we drain and then press the marc.

Malolactic fermentation is then carried out in barrels and vats, the objective being to reduce the acidity of the wine. Vinification generally lasts 20 to 25 days.

The aging of the wine in French oak barrels begins at the end of malolactic fermentation. Each year we use 60% new barrels and 40% one-wine barrels. The wines remain in barrels for at least 12 months. During the last 6 months before bottling, the wines are clarified and fined with fresh egg white.

A racking, depending on the tastings, is carried out every 3 to 4 months. For the blends, all batches are tasted separately, then classified according to qualities for our 1st wine, Château Batailley, our 2nd wine, Lions de Batailley, and our 3rd wine, Pauillac de Batailley.

Deep and intense color. Fruity nose with aromas of fresh blackberries, raspberries and some mineral notes. A red wine concentrated in aromas and well balanced on the palate. A Pauillac which still deserves to spend up to 7 years in the cellar before tasting it at a temperature between 15 and 16°C.