Château Batailley

Detail of a Château Batailley 1947 label

Château Batailley is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.^[1]

History

The current name name is possibly linked to a military origin, and has been used since the end of the 18th century. Then under ownership of the Saint-Martin family, there followed a succession of owners and temporary partition until the estate was largely regathered and augmented by Daniel Guestier of Barton & Guestier in the time following 1816.^[2]

The estate was first mentioned in classification by Abraham Lawton in 1815, as a "fifth growth" but then under the name of "Bedou", and in 1846 by Charles Cocks under the name of proprietor Guestier.^[3] By Guestier's death in 1847 Batailley was established as a fifth cru ahead of the 1855 Médoc classification.

Following a period of heirs and partitions, the brothers François and Marcel Borie purchased the estate in 1932, and in 1942 divided it into the two properties that are today Batailley and Haut-Batailley in order to prevent future difficulties with the estate inheritance.^[2] The larger part which included the château became the sole property of Marcel Borie until his death in 1961, when it passed to his daughter Denise, and her husband Emile Castéja.

Batailley is presently owned by the Castéja family whose Borie-Manoux holdings also include the Pauillac fifth growth Château Lynch-Moussas,^[4] and the Saint-Émilion producer Château Trotte Vieille.^[2]

Production

The vineyard area extends 57 hectares (140 acres) planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.^[2]

The grand vin Château Batailley has an average annual production of 22,000 cases (2,000 hl) and there is produced no second wine.^[2]

References

• Château Batailley technical data

Footnotes

1. ^ MacNeil, Karen, (2001). The Wine Bible, Workman Publishing, p. 885, ISBN 1-56305-434-5
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Kissack, Chris, thewinedoctor.com. "Chateau Batailley". http://www.thewinedoctor.com/bordeaux/batailley.shtml. 
3. ^ Peppercorn, David (2003). Bordeaux. London: Mitchell Beazley. pp. 141–142. ISBN 1-84000-927-6. 
4. ^ H. Johnson & J. Robinson (2005). The World Atlas of Wine, p. 91, Mitchell Beazley Publishing, ISBN 1840003324