Graves Appellations

Question 1

Graves AOC

Answer 1

This large appellation for white and red wines stretches from the city of Bordeaux southwards.
Maximum yields are limited to 58 and 55 hL/ha respectively.
85 per cent of wine being red.
Most Graves AOC wine is acceptable to good quality and inexpensive to mid-priced.
Graves Supérieures AOC is restricted to late picked and/or botrytis-affected sweet wines which allows higher yields (40 hL/ha) than Sauternes.

Question 2

Pessac-Léognan AOC

Answer 2

This compact appellation includes some of the southern suburbs of the city of Bordeaux and
is a sub-region within Graves AOC.
It has both the gravel soils and the moderating effect of the Garonne like the top communes of the Médoc.
It is known for high quality, often barrel fermented and aged white wines and high-quality red wines, though the red/white split is 80/20 percent.
It includes one First Growth from the 1855 classification and all of the cru classé properties of the Graves classification. It has the reputation for producing the best white wines of Bordeaux.
Maximum yield is 54 hL/ha for both red and white wines.
The red wines are similar in style and price to the red wines of the four most prestigious Médoc communes.

Question 3

TASTING NOTE:

Pessac-Leognan AOC white wine:

Answer 3

The white wines are typically a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and have

• pronounced aromas of gooseberry, lemon and grapefruit with vanilla and clove oak notes,
• medium (+) body,
• medium (+) to high acidity
• medium to high alcohol.

They are typically very good to outstanding and premium to super-premium in price.