Château Batailley is a 5th Growth estate in Pauillac, Bordeaux. The vineyards of the estate cover 60 hectares in AOC Pauillac, which are farmed sustainably. The château has been owned by the Borie-Castéja family since 1924. Benoît Bouchonneau is in charge of winemaking in Château Batailley and his wines are well-balanced, elegant and express the terroir perfectly well.

The wines of the château are: Château Batailley Pauillac and Les Lions de Batailley (2nd wine). The Château Batailley 1959 and 1949 scored 95, 2015 and 2016 scored 93-95, and 1900 scored 94 by the Wine Advocate.

Robert Parker’s tasting notes on the Château Batailley Pauillac 1959: “Tasted at the Château Batailley dinner at The Square, the Château Batailley 1959 embodies all that is great about mature Pauillac. The nose is just so expressive, unfurling with aeration, offering mulberry, briary, thyme and a touch of cooked Italian meats (Mortadella...later prosciutto). This has wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite tensile on the entry, the acidity lending the 1959 vigour and vivacity. It has vestiges of wild red-berried fruit, cedar and sandalwood and is very focused, almost "economical" on the piquant finish as if this wine had already impressed you enough and there is no need to overdo it. That would be showing off. This is a superb 1959 Bordeaux. Tasted January 2010.”

Château Batailley has been owned by the Borie-Castéja family since 1924. In the 2000s, Émile Castéja passed on the management of Château Batailley to his son Philippe Castéja, who is managing the estate assisted by his son Frédéric Castéja. The winemaking at Château Batailley is managed by oenologist Benoît Bouchonneau and consultants Valérie Lavigne and Axel Marchal.

The history of the estate goes back to 1452 and its name "Batailley" comes from the "Battle" which took place in 1453 between the French and the English troops on the lands of the future domain. The vines have been planted on this land since the 17th century. Since that time Château Batailley has been owned by different families until 1924, when two brothers Marcel Borie and Francis Borie, bought the estate. In 1941, the brothers decided to divide the property into two - Château Haut-Batailley, headed by Francis Borie and Château Batailley headed by Marcel Borie. It is the only château in the region which preserved the 1855 5th Growth classification for both estates after its division.

The Castéja family also owns Château Trottevieille in Saint-Emilion, Château Lynch-Moussas in Pauillac, Château Haut-Bages Monpelou in Pauillac, Château Bergat in Saint-Emilion, Château Beau Site in Saint-Estèphe, Domaine de l’Eglise in Pomerol and Borie Manoux négociant house since 1881.

Château Batailley’s vineyards are farmed according to a sustainable approach. The vineyards are planted with 70 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 percent Merlot, 3 percent Cabernet Franc and 2 percent Petit Verdot at a density of 8,500 vines per hectare. The average age of vines is 40 years. 70 percent of grapes are used for the 1st wine and 30 percent are used for Les Lions de Batailley (2nd wine).

The harvesting is manual and sorted in the vineyard for the first time and at the cellars for the second time. The grapes are then destemmed, crushed and vinified in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats. The alcoholic fermentation is carried out at low temperatures from 24 to 26°C followed by post-fermentation maceration at temperatures from 30 to 32°C. The malolactic fermentation is done in barrels and vats. Vinification generally lasts 20 to 25 days. Then the ageing process starts with racking which is done every 3 or 4 months. The wines are placed into French oak barrels with up to 60 percent new wood and stay there for 12 months. In the middle of the maturation period, the wines are clarified and fined with fresh egg whites.