Pauillac AC [poh-YAK]
The town of Pauillac, located in Haut-Médoc that is probably the most noteworthy in France’s Bordeaux region. The appellation surrounding Pauillac contains three of the five premier cru (first-growth) châteaux—Latour, Lafite-Rothschild, and Mouton-Rothschild—along with fifteen other cru classé châteaux including Lynch-Bages, Pichon-Longueville-Baron, and Pichon-Lalande. Because cru classé châteaux own much of the approximately 2,700 acres in the appellation, there are few well-known cru bourgeois châteaux. The dominant grape in Pauillac is Cabernet Sauvignon, which is blended with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and, occasionally, small amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot. Pauillac AC wines from the best vintages are generally powerful, full-flavored, and elegant. When young, they’re a bit rough, but they age magnificently.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.