Pauillac is a well-regarded a commune and appellation on Bordeaux's Médoc peninsula. It is home to some of the world's most famous and expensive red wines, wines made predominantly from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety.
Wine estates
The stellar reputation of Pauillac wines is based not only on their quality, but on their success in international fine wine markets. Three of the top five châteaux in the 1855 Médoc Classification (a ranking of Bordeaux's best wine-producing properties) are located here; Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild and Château Latour. (© Wine-Searcher).
Wine style
Over hundreds of vintages, the châteaux and their winemakers have become very skilled at emphasizing the individuality of their vineyards. There is general agreement that the styles of those "top three" châteaux are discernibly different.
Overall, however, there is still an identifiable Pauillac wine style: full, rich, and characterized by the classic cassis-and-cedarwood aromas of oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon. They are typically regarded as having the most powerful tannic structure of the Médoc communes, and are often capable of long ageing in the cellar.
Pauillac grape varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon usually accounts for 50 percent of most blends, and perhaps two-thirds or more of many Cru Classé wines. Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Malbec are also permitted for use under the Pauillac appellation laws. In a few examples Merlot can be prominent.
Vineyard zone and terroir
The AOP zone is located between Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Julien. The total vineyard area of the appellation covers approximately 1200 hectares (2950 acres).
Overall, the terroir of Pauillac varies more than might be expected in an area of only 23 square kilometers (9 square miles), where the land near the banks of the Gironde estuary with the best vineyard sites rises and falls by a maximum of 30 meters (100ft).
The appellation laws for Pauillac specify that all land within the Pauillac commune boundaries qualifies for the title, unless composed of sandy, alluvial or impermeable soils. Certain plots in neighboring Saint-Julien and Saint-Estèphe commune actually also qualify for the title, as do a handful in Cissac and Saint-Saveur.
