Pessac-Léognan

The Pessac-Léognan appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) is a Bordeaux wine appellation. The Pessac-Léognan AOC was created in September 1987 on the ancient Graves de Bordeaux terroir. Pessac-Léognan is undoubtedly the precise starting point of viticulture in Bordeaux, 2,000 years ago. As early as Roman times, man understood that this terroir, which encompasses all of the Crus Classés of the Graves region, was particularly favorable for vine cultivation. The cultivated area quickly grew to 1,600 hectares and its annual production amounts to nearly 70,000 hectoliters. Among the renowned Pessac-Léognan wines, Château Haut-Brion stands out as the only Premier Cru Classé from 1855 not located in the Médoc. Other estates are no less remarkable: Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Château Pape Clément, Domaine de Chevalier, Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion and Château Haut-Bailly.

The Pessac-Léognan AOC is one of the few appellations that includes a large number of grape varieties. Growing on the left bank of the Garonne River, these varieties have similar flavors despite their different genomes. 

Currently, there are nine main grape varieties used in the production of Pessac Léognan wines:

Harvested by hand, the grapes are then fermented in the thousand-year-old vats of the Château Coucheroy Pessac Léognan AOC. Respectful of tradition, the winemakers repeat gestures codified by others centuries ago. 

A wine with great aging potential

Despite the passage of time, this ritual has lost none of its effectiveness. As a result, Pessac Léognan red wines retain all their tannins for 7 to 20 years. For some Pessac Léognan vintages, the aging potential is much higher. 

As for white wines, experts at Château Coucheroy Pessac Léognan AOC recommend keeping them for a maximum of 2 to 5 years. Of course, some vintages are likely to age more delicately. In fact, they can be kept for 10 to 15 years. 

The soils of Pessac-Léognan wines consist of a particularly thick layer of gravel and pebbles rolled by water, known as "graves." This layer rests on a substrate of sand, silt, and clay in varying proportions. The vines occupy vast clearings surrounded by pine trees, which provide ideal protection from the humid westerly winds. The AOC produces Pessac-Léognan red wines made mainly from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. They have a cherry color with black hues. Their nose expresses notes of ripe red fruit and violet, supported by a smoky bouquet of toasted almonds and resin. These are rich, elegant wines of great nobility and structure, which can be enjoyed in their youth but also show great potential for aging. The dry white wines of the Pessac-Léognan appellation are generally straw yellow in color, fairly pale, often due to their aging in oak barrels. Their aroma is marked by Sauvignon, the dominant grape variety of the appellation, which brings freshness and fruitiness, combined or not with Sémillon, which brings the richness of its unique candied fruit aromas. Pessac-Léognan white wines are complex, full-bodied, round, and seemingly sweet, even though they are very dry.