Pessac-Léognan

France · AOC · South-West

Styles

Natural factors

Ten communes in the Gironde, forming the northern part of the Graves, on the left bank of the Garonne, bordering Bordeaux to the west and south.
Soils derived from fluvioglacial deposits of the Garonne (late Tertiary–Quaternary): gravels and pebbles up to 3 m deep, calcareous clays, sands, and faluns. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Subsoil of limestone and shelly faluns (ancient marine sediments), with a fissured, permeable limestone bedrock beneath the clays. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Gently undulating relief of gravel ridges; natural drainage provided by soft slopes and a dense network of small Garonne tributaries.
Temperate oceanic climate with regular humidity levels, sheltered by the Landes girondines forest to the south and the Atlantic to the west.

Human factors

As early as 1531, Jean de Pontac established a wine-growing enterprise at Haut-Brion that gave rise to the concept of the 'Grand Cru'.

Terroir / wine link

On sandy or clay-limestone soils, the whites express floral and fruity notes with a refreshing freshness.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.