Château Haut-Batailley

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The Chateau Haut-Bages 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.

Château Haut-Batailley 2004

The estate is located in the south of Pauillac , it is medium-sized with about 22 hectares. 65% of the area is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon , 25% with Merlot and 10% with Cabernet Franc . Depending on the vintage, the wine ages for 16 to 20 months in oak barrels, around 40% of which are renewed annually. In the middle years the estate produces around 110,000 bottles of wine.

All wines since 1994 have been rated at least in the very good area of ​​86 or more Parker points . Château Haut-Batailley is accompanied and advised by the oenologist Jacques Boissenot and his son Eric.

Compared to many other wines from Pauillac , the wine from Château Haut-Batailley is said to have a somewhat gentler character with more finesse. Therefore, these wines are often ready to drink a little earlier.

history

The common origins of Château Batailley and Château Haut-Batailley are uncertain, and so there are several assumptions about the name. The proximity of the name to the French word bataille (battle) nourishes the plausible thesis that the usable area of ​​the Château 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 merchant named Batailley who played a role in the estate's history.

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. By the time he died in 1847, the estate was already in good standing and the cornerstone for its good performance in the 1855 classification had been laid.

literature