2015 Château Haut-Batailley Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Château Haut-Batailley Pauillac is a Fifth Classified Growth of Pauillac

The 2015 is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Merlot.

The wines at Château Haut-Batailley are stylistically very traditional examples of classic Pauillac terroir.  The 2015 Haut Batailley was matured in 60% new oak. It was picked between 21 September until 2 October. The average age of the vines is 35 years old. The management of the vineyard is reasoned. The tillage is exclusively mechanical with the plowing, the grape harvest is exclusively manual. A double sort is organized on vibrating table before and after destacking. The vatting is long during the vinification since it lasts about 3 weeks. In order to improve the quality of winemaking and preservation, an extensive investment program was carried out with the construction of a new winery and a new winery.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Château Haut-Batailley is a Fifth Growth located in Pauillac.  In 2017, Château Haut-Batailley was acquired by the legendary Cazes family, owners of the ubiquitous and second-to-none estate, Château Lynch Bages. Before Château Haut-Batailley was acquired by the Cazes family it was skillfully managed by Francois Borie of the Borie family, famous owners of the “Super Second,” jewel of Saint Julien, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou.  Quality has been steadily on the rise since the mid 2000s and scores typically hover in the low 90s.  Yet despite the accolades, pricing for this Pauillac gem remains some of the most affordable within the expensively priced Pauillac appellation.  For wine connoisseurs who search for excellent producers that overdeliver in terms of value, look no further than Château Haut-Batailley. 
 
It would be impossible to discuss the history of this estate without touching on the story of the mother domain, Château Batailley. Château Batailley was one of the older properties in the Médoc and a working winery in the 1400s.  The potential of the heavily graveled, sandy soil over clay terroir was readily apparent to the early vignerons during the Middle Ages. It received its name from a legendary battle during the Hundred Year’s War that took place upon the grounds, when the French managed to reclaim one of the neighboring estates, the famous First Growth Château Latour.  Château Batailley was aptly named after the battle that took place there and functioned as a working winery for centuries until eventually being ranked as a Fifth Growth property during the 1855 Classification.  It wasn’t until the 20th Century when Francois Xavier Borie, the owner of the famous Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, acquired the estate and portioned off a smaller section of Château Batailley, thus creating Château Haut-Batailley.