Pessac-Léognan

Pessac-Léognan is a French wine produced around Pessac and Léognan, in the Graves vineyard, one of the subdivisions of the Bordeaux vineyard. The red wines of Pessac-Léognan are elegant and concentrated, with a medium to full-bodied body. They offer distinct aromas and flavours of minerals and earth, and may have a lush fruit or smoky tobacco character. The white wines of Pessac-Léognan are dry, unlike the famous sweet white wines of Sauternes. They are generally crisp and mineral with hints of citrus, often with a rich oak ageing character and capable of improving with further age.

How to taste a Pessac-Léognan ?

To the eye: the robe of red Pessac-Léognan announces elegance and ageing potential. Deep red with purple or black cherry tints. The white Pessac-Léognan has a beautiful appearance. Brilliant golden yellow, almost white, or shimmering with green tints. Always elegant.

Nose: the bouquet of the red wines develops dominant aromas of ripe red fruits and floral notes, such as violet, giving it complexity and power. White Pessac-Léognan develops delicate aromas of toast, lemon, exotic fruits and hazelnut.

Palate: in its young years, red Pessac-Léognan is full-bodied, but balanced and elegant. One finds aromas of fruit, undergrowth and warm earth. As it ages, the palette widens: dried fruit, game, cocoa and roasted notes. The white wine is full-bodied and complex, fat and unctuous, and very fresh. We can say that it is balanced.

Top 5 anecdotes to know about Pessac Léognan :

- 1: Pessac Léognan is the most recent creation among the great Bordeaux appellations. It was created in 1987.

- 2 : The appellation is known for producing superb dry white Bordeaux wines as well as red Bordeaux wines. 20% of the Pessac Leognan appellation is dedicated to the production of white Bordeaux wines.

- 3 : It is the only important Bordeaux appellation located inside a city.

- 4 : It is also the only appellation outside the Médoc to have a château classified in the 1855 classification. Chateau Haut Brion has obtained the status of first grand cru classé.

- 5: Haut Brion can boast of being the first Bordeaux wine to have been professionally reviewed, as Samuel Pepys wrote about it on Friday, April 10, 1663.

The best Châteaux of Pessac-Leognan

We find of course the 1er Grand Cru Classé, Château Haut Brion, but also other references well known to lovers of great Bordeaux wines: Carbonnieux, Domaine de Chevalier, Fieuzal, Haut-Bailly, Latour-Martillac, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Malartic-Lagraviere, Mission Haut-Brion, Pape Clément, Smith Haut Lafitte and many others.

The Best Vintages of Pessac-Léognan

For lovers of old vintages, it is essential to know the good years for a grand cru of Pessac Léognan. The best vintages are : 2018, 2016, 2015, 2010, 2009, 2005, 2000, 1989, 1961, 1959, 1945.

Our great Bordeaux wines in stock