Label
Chateau Haut-Batailley is a Bordeaux blend dominated by a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are hand-harvested and carefully sorted both before and after de-stemming.
Prior to fermentation, the grapes undergo a long, cool maceration of three weeks. When fermentation is complete, the wines age from 16 to 18 month in French oak barrels, 60% of which are new.
Winery
Haut Batailley
Chateau Haut-Batailley is a Left Bank Bordeaux wine property that was originally part of Chateau Batailley, a Fifth Growth in the 1855 Classification. Jointly owned by Francis and Marcel Borie, they divided the estate between them in 1942.
Marcel took the Batailley half, including the chateau. The smaller part went to Francis who purchased additional vineyard land from Chateau Duhart-Milon to increase the size of his Haut Batailley vineyards. Now managed by Francois-Xavier Borie, Chateau Haut-Batailley is part of the Borie family of estates that includes Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou and Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste.
The 22 hectares of Chateau Haut-Batailley are on a gently sloping outcrop at the southern edge of Pauillac. They are planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc on exceptional soils of deep gravel and alluvial stones. This ensures excellent drainage of rainwater and encourages deep roots. The average age of the vines is 35 years old.
In 2005, Francois-Xavier Borie began a major program of construction, building a modern vat house, new harvest facilities and a bottling room, all in harmony with the pre-existing decor.