Pessac-Leognan French wine appellation guide: location, history, wines, climate & soil
Pessac-Léognan is the prestigious northern part of the Graves in Bordeaux, the only appellation where all the classified growths make both great reds and great dry whites, and home to Château Haut-Brion.
More info about Pessac-Leognan
Geographic position
Southwestern France, in the Gironde, on the left bank of the Garonne, starting in the southern suburbs of the city of Bordeaux and stretching south through Pessac, Talence, Léognan and Martillac, across ten communes.
Origin & history
Pessac-Léognan is the birthplace of Bordeaux's fine wine tradition: Pope Clement V owned Château Pape Clément in the 14th century, and in 1663 Samuel Pepys wrote of "Ho Bryan", the first named château wine. Haut-Brion was the only Graves wine in the 1855 Classification. The 16 Crus Classés de Graves were named in 1959, and Pessac-Léognan became a separate AOC in 1987.
Wines & grape varieties
Reds blend Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Cabernet Franc, showing blackcurrant, smoke, tobacco and gravelly minerality. Whites blend Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, often oak-aged, with citrus, beeswax and great longevity.
Climate & soil
Temperate oceanic climate, slightly warmer near the city. Deep gravel mounds over sand and clay.
Wine region: Bordeaux
Grape varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon