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Pauillac
Bordeaux · Left Bank, Haut-Médoc, France
redDeep purple-ruby
The archetype of Cabernet power: cassis and cedar with firm, long-lived tannin.
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Pauillac and Saint-Émilion side by side: structure on the WSET scale, grapes, aromas, drinking window, typical UK price and what to eat with each.
The archetype of Cabernet power: cassis and cedar with firm, long-lived tannin.
Rounder and plummier than the Left Bank, with Cabernet Franc's herbal lift and limestone freshness.
The shape of each wine, then each measure on the WSET scale.
Pauillac has noticeably firmer tannins than Saint-Émilion.
Pauillac: Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant (often 70%+), with Merlot
Saint-Émilion: Merlot-led (about 60–70%) with Cabernet Franc, some Cabernet Sauvignon
| Pauillac | Saint-Émilion | |
|---|---|---|
| Grapes | Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant (often 70%+), with Merlot | Merlot-led (about 60–70%) with Cabernet Franc, some Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Climate | Maritime, close to the Gironde estuary | Maritime with more continental influence than the Médoc |
| Soil | Deep gravel mounds over marl | Limestone plateau, clay-limestone slopes, sand and gravel below |
| Classification | 1855 Classification: three of the five first growths | Saint-Émilion Classification, revised roughly every ten years; Premier Grand Cru Classé A at the top |
| Drinking window | 15–40 years | 8–25 years |
| Typical price | £40–£200 (first growths far more) | £20–£150 (top estates far more) |
| Food | Roast lamb, beef Wellington | Duck breast, lamb, roast vegetables |
| Producers to know | Château Latour, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Pichon Baron | Château Figeac, Château Pavie, Château Canon |