Pauillac

Pauillac has the finest fields, with deep layers of gravel and the right amount of iron and marl. At the same time, the fields have a gently undulating landscape, cut by a series of small streams with an outlet in the Gironde. The vineyards are located on two gravel-rich plateaus, one northwest of the town of Pauillac, and the other southeast, with vines reaching one of the greatest depths found in the Médoc.

In Pauillac there are 18 classified châteaux (surpassed only by Margaux with 19) and three of these are 1st Cru. About 75% of all fields in Pauillac belong to these 18 classified châteaux.

Pauillac's 1st crus each have their own unique characteristics; Lafite Rothschild, hidden in the north of Pauillac on the border with St. Estèphe, produces Pauillac's most aromatically complex wine. Mouton Rothschild's vineyards are located on a well-drained gravel ridge and with its high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, this château can produce (in its best years) Pauillac's most delicate, rich, fleshy and exotic wines

Latour, arguably Bordeaux's best-known 1st cru, is located in southern Pauillac next to St. Julien. Its soil is rich in gravel with excellent drainage, and Latour's vines penetrate as far as 5 meters into the ground.

Wines from Pauillac generally have a large body with tannic acid when they are young. Over time, they become sumptuous in the bouquet with aromas of blackcurrant and cedar.