Pauillac
How to read this
Capitals mark the stressed syllable. The recording is the reference.
3 of the 5 First Growths and 18 classified growths in all:
The place
The rules
Red only, from the 6
The names
Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild, 3 of the 5 First Growths, are
- Color
- Red
- Communes
Pauillac , with parcels of Cissac-Médoc ,Saint-Estèphe ,Saint-Julien -Beychevelle and Saint-Sauveur- Vineyard
- About 1,220 hectares, 47 growers
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carmenère
- Density
- 7,000 vines a hectare at least
- Yield
- 57 hectoliters a hectare, ceiling 63
- Alcohol
- 11% natural at least
- Release
- From September 1 of the year after the harvest
- Classified
- 18 growths of 1855, 3 of them Firsts
- AOC since
- November 14, 1936
Sources: FGVB, cahier des charges
The stack
The same land in
It shares named communes with
The appellations of Bordeaux are stacked, not laid side by side. The map draws the whole stack. Open the map
The pyramid of names shows what each step promises: vines a hectare, bottles, ripeness, day of sale, grapes. Climb from here
Classifications that reach this appellation: The Classification of 1855, The Crus Bourgeois du
Terroir
Here the stones come the size of eggs. From Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne down to
They came a long way. Large rivers rolled them down from the Pyrenees and from the Massif Central, and the slanting layers and buried channels inside the gravel show the water running, on average, from south to north. Those rivers would later take the names Dordogne and Gironde. What they left lies in long stony strips along the estuary, the pebbles thickest to the east, on the slopes. On the flats its soils are bleached (podzolized), on the slopes browned or leached, and often heavy at depth.
People came early to this gravel. Bronze Age axes of a type named after the
- Slope wash and cover8.8%
- River and estuary deposits of today0.7%
- Ice age river terraces: sand, gravel, pebbles88.0%
- Landes sand and the oldest river deposits1.2%
- Starfish limestone and marine marls0.7%
- Lake limestones and clays0.1%
- Older sea limestones and marls0.7%
Shares of the delimited area, measured on BRGM’s geological map, in families by the age and rock its legend prints, youngest first.
Half its delimited soil lies above 21 m, and 9 tenths lies between 7 and 27 m. 4.2% of it is steeper than 10%.
Measured section
The line runs 4.3 km, from 27 m to 3 m. Inside the delimited area it lies between 5 and 28 m.
Colors: Slope wash and coverRiver and estuary deposits of todayIce age river terraces: sand, gravel, pebbles
The units, as BRGM prints them
| Code | Name and age, as printed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Slope wash and cover | 8.8% | |
| CFp | Formations superficielles | 8.8% |
| River and estuary deposits of today | 0.7% | |
| and 1 more unit under 1% each, 0.7% in all | ||
| Ice age river terraces: sand, gravel, pebbles | 88.0% | |
| Fvb(G) | Hautes terrasses (RG Garonne) - Terrasse de Martillac (type 2) indifférenciée et terrasse d'Arsac, Ménapien à Bavélien - "Gunz" | 73.7% |
| Fva(G) | Très hautes terrasses (RG Garonne) - Terrasse de Léognan (type 1) indifférenciée et terrasse de | 14.2% |
| Landes sand and the oldest river deposits | 1.2% | |
| SLk | Sables des Landes, Pléistocène indifférencié | 1.2% |
| Starfish limestone and marine marls | 0.7% | |
| and 3 more units under 1% each, 0.7% in all | ||
| Lake limestones and clays | 0.1% | |
| and 1 more unit under 1% each, 0.1% in all | ||
| Older sea limestones and marls | 0.7% | |
| and 2 more units under 1% each, 0.7% in all | ||
Informative figures, computed from INAO’s digitized parcel delimitation of October 12, 2026 and BRGM’s harmonized geological map (BD Charm-50); heights from IGN’s RGE ALTI 5 m. The plans held at the town hall are the legal reference. The delimited area is always somewhat larger than what is planted.
Sources: BRGM, Notice explicative de la feuille Lesparre-
Its soil, layer by layer · See it in 3D · See it on the Map · Compare it with another appellation · All about Terroir
Châteaux on this site
Château Batailley Château Bellegrave Château Clerc Milon Château Croizet-Bages Château d’Armailhac Château Duhart-Milon Château Fonbadet Château Gaudin Château Grand-Puy Ducasse Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Château Haut-Bages Libéral Château Haut-Bages Monpelou Château Haut-Batailley Château La Fleur Peyrabon Château Lafite Rothschild Château Latour Château Lynch-Bages Château Lynch-Moussas Château Mouton Rothschild Château Pédesclaux Château Pibran Château Pichon Baron Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Château Plantey Château Pontet-Canet
Tastings
31
April 23, 2026 · 10
Bordeaux En Primeur 2025, Day 3
April 20, 2026 · 10
Bordeaux En Primeur 2025, Day 1
April 15, 2026
March 11, 2026
March 10, 2026
Château
March 4, 2026
Château Lynch Bages Echo de Lynch Bages 2019,
News from Pauillac
18
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Château Haut-Batailley , aPauillac fifth growth, has undergone changes since the Cazes family bought it in 2017, including its distinctive pink winery walls.Estate profiles can reveal how individual
Pauillac properties distinguish themselves beyond classification and appellation. Here, architecture and operating philosophy form part of Haut-Batailley’s public identity. -
Bordeaux Study Links Biodynamics to Less Grape Rot
A doctoral study conducted from 2022 to 2024 at
Château Lafite Rothschild inPauillac , Bordeaux, found lower susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea among biodynamically managed grapes. In laboratory tests, 69% were infected, compared with 89% under organic management alone, according to Revista ADEGA.The findings add another measurable dimension to the debate over biodynamics, this time focused on fungal incidence and grape condition rather than philosophy alone.
-
Médoc producers reconsider their use of oakBordeaux’s Left Bank producers are recalibrating their use of new oak, with
Château Lascombes inMargaux , ChâteauGruaud Larose in St-Julien andChâteau d'Armailhac inPauillac taking different approaches this year, according to Decanter.Élevage is central to both the style and identity of classified and unclassified
Médoc wines. A broader reconsideration of oak could change how producers pursue structure, texture and expression. -
Pauillac makes a new economic bet on wine tourismAccording to Sud Ouest,
Pauillac welcomed 10 cruise ships in 2026 and expects 17 in 2027 as it develops its economy around wine tourism.Growing river traffic could bring more visitors directly into the
Médoc . The test will be whetherPauillac can convert those arrivals into sustained demand for local estates and businesses. -
How Bages became a
Pauillac tourism destinationChâteau Lynch-Bages recreated a village beside its new vat room inPauillac 20 years ago, adding shops and a restaurant. Bages has since become a wine tourism destination that attracts visitors daily.Bages demonstrates how a leading estate can build a visitor economy around place rather than relying on a conventional cellar tour alone.
-
Bordeaux Vineyard Prices Plunged by More Than 80% in Parts of the
Médoc According to Sud-Ouest, average vineyard prices in the
Médoc fell more than 80%, from €55,000 per hectare in 2018 to €10,000 in 2025.Pauillac prices fell from €2.2 million to €1.7 million per hectare, whileMargaux declined from €1.1 million to €800,000. -
Sensory experience in Goiânia revisits the historic Bordeaux Classification - Zelo
In Goiânia on July 9, sommelière Emília Almeida will lead a tasting experience featuring wines from
Margaux ,Saint-Julien ,Saint-Estèphe andPauillac and revisiting the Bordeaux Classification created in Paris in 1855. -
Como Hotels and Resorts opens COMO Cordeillan-Bages in the
Médoc in BordeauxComo Hotels and Resorts opened COMO Cordeillan-Bages, a 28-room hotel, in
Pauillac in Bordeaux’sMédoc . -
COMO Cordeillan-Bages opens in the heart of Bordeaux wine country
COMO Hotels and Resorts has opened the 28-room COMO Cordeillan-Bages in
Pauillac , in Bordeaux’sMédoc region, in collaboration with the Cazes family, owners ofChâteau Lynch-Bages . -
Chateau Batailley: A pillar of value in
Pauillac Château Batailley , a fifth growth property inPauillac , has been owned by the Castèja family since 1961 and is known for consistent quality at accessible prices, according to Decanter. -
Lafite Rothschild: a masterclass not to be missed
Terre de Vins is promoting a June 9 masterclass in Paris during its Grande Dégustation Primeurs, featuring wines from the Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite portfolio. The event highlights
Château Lafite Rothschild , the First Growth estate inPauillac . -
Bordeaux 2025 en primeur:
Saint-Estèphe wines ‘thrill’ in this vintageSaint-Estèphe ’s 2025 en primeur wines performed especially well and compared favorably with nearbyPauillac , according to thedrinksbusiness.com. -
En Primeur 2025: Pontet-Canet Sets the Tone
Terre de Vins reports that
Château Pontet-Canet is again one of the first major releases of the 2025 Bordeaux en primeur campaign. The Tesseron family estate inPauillac is offering the wine at a very slight increase in public price. -
Bordeaux 2025 en primeur: Everything you need to know with Decanter's expert insights
Decanter will release hundreds of exclusive tasting notes on Bordeaux 2025 wines on May 1, alongside analysis of the promising vintage and difficult market conditions. Top châteaux from
Pauillac toPomerol are preparing en primeur offers. -
Bordeaux 2025 Vintage Tastings:
Pauillac BenchmarksWine Spectator tasted
Pauillac benchmarksChâteau Pichon Baron , Château Lynch Bages and Grand-Puy-Lacoste from the 2025 vintage, calling theMédoc vintage one of tremendous quality at small quantity. -
Terre de Vins’ tasting team reassessed the 2023 wines being delivered from
Saint-Estèphe andPauillac after 2 years of élevage. Promising potential identified during primeurs was confirmed in some wines, while the vintage also produced more accessible successes than 2022. -
The (Patiras) island of treasures
The Gouache family, owners of
Château Loudenne , is taking over the Refuge de Patiras restaurant on Île de Patiras to create a new visitor destination linked withPauillac and La Loudenne, including small daily boat trips in high season. -
Wine Advent #4: The Big Guns of the
Médoc in a Gift BoxChâteau Pichon Baron and Cos d'Estournel are offering gift boxes: Pichon Baron’s 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 half-bottle vertical costs €599 at itsPauillac shop, while Cos offers a 3-bottle 2015 set marking the vintage’s 10th anniversary.