Médoc · Pauillac appellation · 18 classified growths, 3 of them first growths
Pauillac wines: available vintages, prices and pairings
Every Pauillac Transvins offers, from second wine to premier grand cru classé, vintage by vintage: the format, the guide price and what to expect from it today, ready to drink or to keep. Tick what interests you, and the quote request goes with your selection.
The Pauillac wines we offer
From the first growths to the second wines, in order of classification. Filter by budget or by “ready to drink”. Nothing is sent until you click on the quote.
From second wine to first growth
Three of the five first growths of the Médoc and Graves are in Pauillac. The rank tells you the château, the table tells you the price.
The second wines
Écho de Lynch-Bages, Les Forts de Latour, Carruades de Lafite: the younger vines of a classified growth. Yet the second wines of the first growths cost more than many classified growths.
Fifth growths
Grand-Puy-Ducasse, Haut-Batailley, d’Armailhac, Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Clerc Milon, Haut-Bages Libéral, and two that sell at second-growth prices: Lynch-Bages and Pontet-Canet.
Fourth and second growths
Duhart-Milon, the appellation's only fourth growth; the two Pichons, Pichon Baron and Pichon Comtesse, facing each other across the Route des Châteaux.
First growths
Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild, promoted in 1973: wines that age for fifty years, given as gifts more than poured.
What makes a Pauillac
About 1,200 hectares between Saint-Julien to the south and Saint-Estèphe to the north, on rises of deep gravel along the Gironde. Cabernet sauvignon dominates here more than anywhere else, with merlot. The wines are the most structured in the Médoc: blackcurrant, cedar, firm tannins, and long ageing. Reds only.
To the south begins Saint-Julien, a little softer: see the Saint-Julien wines.
What to serve it with
- Pauillac lamb, raised near the vines, is the appellation's pairing: roast, as a leg or a rack (what wine with lamb).
- A classified growth of ten years and more: rib of beef (what wine with beef), game (what wine with game).
- A second wine or a young fifth growth: duck breast (what wine with duck), firm cheeses (what wine with cheese).
Which Pauillac for which occasion
For a wedding, a fifth growth or a second wine on the tables, a higher-ranked growth for the top table (which Bordeaux for a wedding). For a birthday, the birth year: birth-year vintage. As a gift, a first growth or its second wine, in a wooden case (which wine to give).
How many classified growths are there in the Pauillac appellation?
Eighteen in the 1855 classification: three first growths (Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Mouton Rothschild), two second growths (Pichon Baron and Pichon Comtesse), one fourth growth (Duhart-Milon) and twelve fifth growths. No third growth.
What is the difference between a Pauillac and a Saint-Julien?
Same bank, same dominant grape, but deeper gravel in Pauillac and a higher share of cabernet sauvignon: the wines are more powerful and need more time. Saint-Julien is often ready sooner.
How long should you keep a Pauillac?
Four to fifteen years for a second wine, eight to twenty-five for a fifth growth, ten to thirty-five for the second growths and the most sought-after fifth growths, fifteen to fifty for the first growths. A little more in a great year, a little less in a weak year. The table applies this rule to each line; it isn't a tasting note.
Are the prices shown the prices on the quote?
They're the guide prices from the price list, incl. VAT, per bottle of the format, excluding delivery. The quote confirms the price, the availability of each vintage and the shipping; the delivery grid gives the lead times. For a Pauillac or a vintage not in the table, the quote request is still open.