Location and landscape
The Pauillac appellation is located on the left bank of the Gironde in the central Médoc, around 50 kilometres north of Bordeaux. Its area covers the commune of Pauillac as well as defined parcels in Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle and Saint-Sauveur. The town and the harbour of Pauillac lie below the vineyards on the estuary.
Climate and soils
The temperate oceanic climate, shaped by the Atlantic and the Gironde, leads to differences between vintages, which are linked, among other things, to autumn rainfall or warm, sunny late-season periods. The vineyard area is characterised by three systems of gravel mounds that rise to around 3 to 30 metres above sea level. The Quaternary gravel layers, which are mostly about ten metres thick, lie on marls and limestone from the Eocene and Oligocene. Gravel soils of varying sand content are predominant; in depressions, sandy soils occur over clay.
Wines and grape varieties
Pauillac AOC is reserved exclusively for still red wines. They are described as deeply coloured, powerful and structured, with Cabernet Sauvignon usually dominating. Merlot brings roundness and fruit, while Cabernet Franc and, occasionally, Petit Verdot provide structure and complexity. The tannin-driven structure supports maturation; longer ageing is associated with the development of a complex bouquet.
History and regulations
The earliest documented development of viticulture in Pauillac dates back to the middle of the 13th century. Drainage, supported by Dutch influence, later made previously uncultivated areas suitable for growing vines. The present-day AOC boundary dates back to a court ruling from 1926 and was set out by the decree of 14 November 1936. Among other requirements, at least 7,000 vine plants per hectare are prescribed, an yield limit of 57 hectolitres per hectare, as well as a ripening period of at least until 1 June of the year following the harvest.
