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.

Our other Pessac-Leognan wines

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