Pessac-Léognan

Discover the Pessac-Léognan appellations

The Pessac-Léognan vineyard is one of the oldest in the region; it was already famous during the Middle-Ages. Today, it encompasses the communes of Cadaujac, Canéjan, Gradignan, Léognan, Martillac, Mérignac, Pessac, Saint-Médard-d’Eyrans, Talence and Villenave-d’Ornon. Its soil is made of gravel and pebbles, buried under steep slopes. As for the terroir, it is rather homogenous when it comes to red grape varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec), with some added white grape varieties (Sauvignon and Sémillon).

Pessac-Léognan was so famous for its grapevines that the Château Haut-Brion, already one of the most iconic wines during the early 17th century, made its entry in the 1855 Classification, as a Premier Cru. Right next to other big estates from the Médoc region. In 1953, other red wines from the region entered the imperial classification as well, with the white wines making their debut in 1959.

The appellation produces a lot of red wines (62,000 hectoliters per day, for 1,300 hectares of vineyard) and a few white wines (15,000 hectoliters, for 265 hectares). Pessac-Léognan boasts a total of 16 classified Graves Grands Crus, in red and white. As for the Château Haut-Brion, which was the official precursor of the region, it is now the leading producer among the 68 castles and wine estates.

Check out our selection of Pessac-Léognan wines.