Last October, Nelson Chow, president of the Hong Kong and China Sommelier Association, pushed the doors of Château Batailley. Nothing glitzy in this pearl of Pauillac, it just releases something of the quiet strength of the lions who guard the entrance. The same quiet force emanates from Frédéric Castéja who welcomes the Chinese expert for a superb tasting. The latter was offered the comparative discovery of three chateaus of the family, in the 2011-12-13-14-15-16 vintages: Château Beau-Site, Saint-Estèphe, then the two family properties in Pauillac, Château Batailley, 5th Grand Cru Classé, and Château Lynch-Moussas, Grand Cru Classé.
Château Batailley is in the Castéja family, a big name in the Bordeaux wine trade, since 1925. Its 55-hectare vineyard benefits from a gravelly soil planted mainly with Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), complemented by Merlot (25%) and Petit Verdot (5%). For nearly two decades, when Philippe Castéja took over Batailley, the estate has been benefiting from a progressive modernization in the service of the improvement of the quality of the grand wine. The second wine, created in 2014, now benefits from 30% of the grapes that previously composed its big brother.
Château Lynch Moussas has a vineyard of 60 hectares, with a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), complemented with Merlot (30%), planted on a clay and gravel soil. Careful attention is paid to the vines, as at Batailley, to guarantee a hand-crafted quality of the raw material.
Château Beau-Site, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, is one of the oldest properties of Saint-Estèphe.
The tasting evidenced once again the excellent quality of the Castéja family’s wines, but also the successful duality between immediate drinkability and great aging capacity. Wine that will appeal to those who can’t wait and connoisseurs capable of patience.
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