Understanding Pauillac through the 2015 vintage
Jane Anson revisits the ‘hugely acclaimed’ 2015 vintage in Pauillac, tasting a total of 32 wines, both grand vins and their second labels…
Pauillac is a name that towers over the Left Bank of Bordeaux. It contains some of the most highly priced vineyard land in the world – good luck finding pretty much anything below €1 million per hectare, with the average now closer to €2 million, the highest in Bordeaux.
Its 1,213 hectares cover just 7.5% of the vineyards on the peninsula but contain 18 classified growths from 1855, and three first growths – more than any other appellation.
But even here, in this most hallowed of grounds, there are plenty of differences in style. For a start, although there are an abundance of gravel soils, mainly set on outcrops that range from 3m to 30m in height, there are also pockets of sand, clay and even limestone.
