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Château Haut-Batailley unveils its new label
At the entrance to the Pauillac AOC area, the Virgin Mary watches over the Haut-Batailley vineyard from Tour L’Aspic. Built in 1875 by the pious Demoiselles Averous, Tour l’Aspic captures the romance of its era. This new label was inspired by and pays tribute to the tower, so emblematic of Château Haut-Batailley.
The story behind its name is a mystery. According to local legend, the Virgin Mary is crushing an asp underfoot, a symbol of temptation and evil. But recent restoration work on the tower has revealed that the Virgin Mary is in fact standing over a bed of roses.
Yet a coat of arms featuring a tower, an asp, a knight’s helmet and a Latin inscription meaning “remembrance and fidelity” is engraved into the stone. Could the helmet be a reference to the Hundred Years’ War? Legend has it that the name “Batailley” comes from a great battle, which ended with the English being driven from French soil. The mystery lives on.
The drawing of the tower and the surrounding countryside was inspired by the strong imagination of the man who illustrated the fables of Jean de la Fontaine, Dante’s Inferno and the fairy tales by Charles Perrault.
The fine gold lettering is reminiscent of the age of illuminated manuscripts and use of intaglio printing creates subtle variations in colour, really bringing the clouds to life.
A perfect blend of fantasy and wonder, the beautiful white tower captures the imagery of a medieval tale.
The handwritten lettering is evocative of the former labels, embodying the history and continuity of a grand terroir.