Château Batailley

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Label of the excellent 1947 vintage

The château batailley is a known vineyard of Bordeaux . Since the classification of 1855 the winery has been classified as Cinquième Grand Cru Classé (fifth level of classification).

The estate is located in Pauillac and is quite large with around 57 hectares . 70% of the area is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon , 25% with Merlot , 3% with Cabernet Franc and 2% with Petit Verdot . The average age of the vines is 40 years. Depending on the vintage, the wine ages in barrique barrels for 16 to 18 months, around 55% of which are renewed annually. In the middle years the estate produces around 300,000 bottles of wine. Due to the high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon and the comparatively low use of new barrique barrels, the wine represents the traditional style of Pauillac wines. Special mention should be made of all the younger vintages from 1994 onwards, all of which are in the very good range with more than 85 PP . The 2005 vintage was rated with 91 points. The years 2009 (94 PP) and 2010 (92 PP) as well as 2015/2016 (93–95 PP each) are the most highly rated years.

history

The origins of Château Batailley are uncertain; There are several assumptions about the name. The proximity of the name to the French word bataille (battle) feeds the plausible thesis that the usable area of ​​the chateau belonged to the defensive ring of Bordeaux during the Hundred Years War . A corresponding use is known from various wineries in the region such as the nearby Château Latour . An alternative explanation speaks of a winemaker or trader named Batailley who is said to have played a role in the history of the estate.

Written mentions of the winery can be found in the 18th century. Château Batailley then belonged to the Saint-Martin family. At the end of the century, the property passed to the three children of the family through inheritance. The two daughters Marianne and Marthe Saint-Martin sold their share to Jean-Guillaume Pécholier in 1791. When Pécholier died in 1816, a large part of the property was sold to Daniel Guestier from the trading house Barton & Guestier (see also the history of Château Léoville-Barton ). It is said that Admiral Jaques de Bédout lived at Château Batailley after his leave of absence until his death in 1818.

Over time, Guestier bought smaller parcels and invested in the usable space, in the wine cellar and in the house. When he died in 1847, the estate already had a good reputation; the foundation stone for the good performance in the classification of 1855 was laid.

literature