It is irrefutable that Bordeaux is one of the world’s most important fine wine regions, and indeed a strong argument can be made that it’s the single-most important wine-producing area on the planet. I believe that this will not compromise their longevity, but rather extends the optimum drinking window of the wines. Yet the past decade or two has also seen an evolution in style, making them far more approachable and attractive in their youth. In perfect conditions, they have been pristine after more than 100 years. Pauillac’s wines – especially the best of them – are famously long-lived, ageing gracefully for decades. But in many ways, that is simply true of Bordeaux.įor me, there are two distinct styles of Pauillac, especially noticeable in the wines’ youth – simply differentiated as ‘northern’, or those properties close to the St.-Estephe border, and the ‘southern’ or properties nearer to St.-Julien.Of course, nothing is ever quite that simple, and it should be noted that there is a distinction to be made between those properties closer to the Gironde and those further inland. The roads leading into and out of Pauillac are single-carriageway roads, often thick with tractors and CV2s, and the inherent wealth that accompanies these world-famous landmarks remains subtly hidden away. Home to three of the five ‘first growths’, Pauillac is surprisingly ‘normal’ in appearance – residential and commercial buildings intermingling with vineyards and magnificent Châteaux. For many winelovers, Pauillac embodies everything that Cabernet Sauvignon is supposed to be.
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