Pessac-Leognan is a prestigious appellation for wines produced in a certain area of the Bordeaux region. A relatively new appellation, it was carved out of the Graves sub-region in 1987. It was recognized as an appellation in its own right on the merits of its high-quality red and white wines. This change was significant for the area, as many of the Chateaux in what is now Pessac-Leognan were the best performers in the Graves Classification of 1959.
The terroir of Pessac-Leognan betrays its historic origin as a part of the Graves region – the dominant soil type being the gravel (and sand) which gave Graves its name. The northern vineyards of the appellation are intermingled with the southern fringes of Bordeaux city, while those in the south are surrounded by the forests which are the other main export of Graves. Where orchards and fields dominate the landscape of the Entre-Deux-Mers region just across the Garonne, pine forests and human settlements are predominant in Pessac-Leognan.
The four key producers in Pessac-Leognan are Chateaux Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, Laville Haut-Brion, and Pape Clement (named after Pope Clement V who had its original vineyards planted in the fourteenth century). Each of these are located within the southern city limits of Bordeaux city. The soils here are deep, with have a high proportion of gravel, and are considered the best of the appellation. Their superior drainage helps maintain the high quality of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes which grow there. The village of Pessac lies just to the south of these Chateaux, and is one half of the appellation’s name.
Leognan - the other half of the appellation’s name - is a village 6 miles (10km) to the south, around which are located several quality producers, including several of the Bordeaux elite: the Domaine de Chevalier and Chateaux Haut-Bailly, Malartic-Lagraviere, Larrivet Haut-Brion and de Fieuzal. Leognan is surrounded almost entirely by pine forest and vineyard, and benefits from the same superior drainage as the Pessac vineyards.
Pessac-Leognan’s white wines are made predominantly from Sauvignon Blanc (a required minimum of 25%) and Semillon grapes, and are often matured in oak for greater complexity. These white varieties thrive on the sandier soils of the appellation, and produce more age-worthy wines than in any other part of the world. In most other parts of the world, blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are best consumed within two years of harvest; the best white wines of Pessac-Leognan can develop in bottle for well over a decade.
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