Château Haut-Batailley

Château Haut-Batailley was originally part of the larger Château Batailley estate, among the oldest properties in Pauillac. The name refers to a battle between French and English forces that took place on the site in 1453 at the conclusion of the Hundred Years' War. The property was established as an independent estate in 1942 when brothers François and Marcel Borie divided the original holdings into two separate entities. François Borie assumed ownership of the smaller portion and renamed it Haut-Batailley. He later increased the vineyard size by acquiring land from Château Duhart-Milon. In March 2017, the Cazes family, owners of Château Lynch-Bages, purchased the estate from the Des Brest-Borie family. This acquisition placed the property under the management of Jean-Charles Cazes.

The vineyards are located at the southern edge of Pauillac on the border of the Saint-Julien appellation. The terroir consists of deep Garonne gravel soils that provide natural drainage for the vines. Since 2017, the Cazes family has expanded the productive vineyard area from 22 hectares to 41 hectares. This growth was achieved by planting land that had remained fallow since the phylloxera outbreak in the late nineteenth century. The vineyard is currently planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and a small amount of Petit Verdot. Winemaking is overseen by technical director Julien Galland. The production focuses on parcel-based vinification to highlight specific soil variations. The resulting wines are characterized by a refined tannic structure and a profile often described as more elegant than the typical Pauillac style.

Château Haut-Batailley is classified as a Fifth Growth under the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The estate is distinguished by the Tour l'Aspic, a tower topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary built in 1875. This structure serves as a visual landmark at the southern entrance to the appellation. The flagship wine is the Grand Vin, produced primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in French oak barrels. In 2017, the owners introduced a second wine named Haut-Batailley Verso, which replaced the previous second label, La Tour l'Aspic. The Verso bottling is intended for earlier accessibility while maintaining the aromatic depth of the property. The winery buildings were recently repainted in a bright pink shade to increase the visibility of the estate within the Médoc landscape.