“Left Bank” refers to the area south of the Garonne and Gironde rivers. The Left Bank includes the appellations of the Medoc, Haut-Medoc and Pessac-Leognan which predominantly produce top-class red wines, then Graves where the great dry whites come from as well as some red wines.
Within the Medoc are the world-famous communes of St Estephe, Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux, while a little further south you will find Pessac-Leognan which was awarded its own appellation as recently as 1987. These five communes are home to all the great First Growths of the 1855 Medoc Classification.
Left Bank red wines are dominated by the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives on the gravelly soils left by the ancient course of the river. This is a thick-skinned variety which ripens late, producing powerful, tannic wines capable of long ageing. The early-ripening Merlot is the second most important grape following by two other minor varieties: Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Sauvignon Blanc, which is Semillon’s minor partner in Bordeaux’s sweet wines, has become increasingly important in the region’s dry whites.
