Chateau Batailley Pauillac Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Batailley, Pauillac, Fifth Growth, with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn about the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Batailley History, Overview

In the 1700s, the Saint-Martin family were the owners of Batailley. Chateau Batailley was well-known in those days due to its history as it was one of the older Bordeaux wine estates dating back to the 1400s. In fact, the property took its name from a famous military battle that took place in 1452, during the hundred-year war.

In 1791 Marianne and Marthe Saint-Martin sold their part of Chateau Batailley to Jean Guillaume Pecholier. In 1816 Chateau Batailley was sold to Daniel Guestier of Barton and Guestier, a famous and important Bordeaux wine negociant firm.

He acquired most of the estate and began buying more shares and land, including plots adjacent to Lynch Bages and Grand Puy Lacoste to enlarge the estate. The Guestier family was quite well-known in Bordeaux at the time, as they also owned Chateau Beychevelle by the time of the 1855 Classification of the Medoc.

Daniel Guestier renovated the Left Bank chateau and improved the Bordeaux wine-making facilities of Batailley. He died in 1847. By that time, Chateau Batailley had a good reputation. The chateau was managed by Guestier’s three children until they sold it in 1866.

It was acquired by a Parisian banker Constant Halphen. Upon Halphen’s death in 1932, the Borie family purchased the estate and continued to make the wine for another decade before the vineyard was cut in two, which as you will see, gave birth to another wine.

Chateau Batailley The Modern Era

In 1942 Chateau Batailley was divided into two separate properties that we know today: Chateau Batailley and Chateau Haut Batailley. Francois Borie kept the smaller part of the Medoc vineyard which became Chateau Haut Batailley. The larger portion, including the chateau, which was owned by Marcel Borie naturally retained the original name of Chateau Batailley.

In 1961 the estate was transferred to Marcel´s daughter Denise and her husband Emile Casteja. Their son Philippe Casteja, with the help of his son, Frederic Casteja manages Chateau Batailley today. The family also owns Chateau Lynch-Moussas, Chateau Trottevieille, and other Bordeaux estates as well as a massive Negociant company, Borie-Manoux, which dates back to 1870, when it was founded by Pierre Borie.

In 2006 Chateau Batailley renovated and modernized its vat rooms and winemaking facilities.

The best vintages of Chateau Batailley are: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2000 and 1929. Older vintages could be good, it’s worth looking for in the auction market today. Though it is important to note that starting with 2016, with another big jump in quality, Batailley is making the best wines in the history of the estate.

Chateau Batailley Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 60 hectare Bordeaux vineyard of Chateau Batailley is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This shows a slight decrease in the Cabernet Sauvignon and a moderate increase in the amount of Merlot in the vineyard. However, today, the plans here are to once again, add more Cabernet Sauvignon to the vineyard.

The vineyard, which is divided into 4 main blocks, can be further subdivided into 60 separate parcels. The vineyard has a terroir of gravel, clay, and sandy soils. There is more clay and sandstone below the surface.

Located inland, off the D1, the vineyard is close to the southern end of Pauillac. The majority of the vineyard is close to and in front of the chateau, not far from the D1. The vineyards have good elevations, with much of the land rising up to 27 meters at its high points. It is at the peak elevation where you find their best terroir.

On average, the vines are 40 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 8,000 vines per hectare. The estate is currently experimenting with biodynamic farming techniques on a 5-hectare parcel of vines.

To produce the wine of Chateau Batailley, vinification takes place in a total of 60, temperature-controlled stainless steel vats that vary in size from 110 hectoliters to 130 hectoliters.

The vats do not vary much in size, as the majority of parcels are quite similar in size at close to 1 hectare per parcel. The 60 vats correspond directly to the number of parcels in the vines allowing for precision fermentations. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat.

On average, the wine is aged in 55% new, French oak barrels for between 16 to 18 months, depending on the vintage. In 2015, Chateau Batailley introduced a second wine, Lions de Batailley. There is also a third wine, Pauillac de Batailley. On average, close to 25,000 cases of wine are produced at Chateau Batailley each year.

When to Drink Chateau Batailley, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Batailley can be enjoyed on the young side with a few hours of air. But I find it too tannic to enjoy without cellaring. I find that the wine is usually better at 8-12 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character.

In the best vintages, the wine will be at its best when it reached peak maturity between 10-25 years of age after the vintage. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-3 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Serving Chateau Batailley with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Batailley is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Batailley is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Batailley is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, and a myriad of hard and soft cheeses.

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