The land : An exceptional combination of favourable elements.

The GRAVES lie on a subsoil composed of clay, sand, « alios » (sandstone hardened by a blackish, ferruginous cement), chalk and « faluns » (chalk containing sea shells). They testify to the historic meanderings of the Garonne, the changes in its course at the end of the Tertiary Era and during the Quaternary, between successive periods of glaciation.

The gravel itself, composed of pebbles and stones rolled smooth by the water, varies from twenty centimetres to 3 metres in thickness.

The exceptional nature of the soil in the GRAVES vineyards depends on the variety of its stones and pebbles. These include quartz, ochre, white, red and pink quartzites, jasper, agate, flint and lydian… a subtle mixture, warm and pleasing to the eye.



The gravel reflects the sunlight to perfection, progressively redistributing its heat onto the bunches of grapes, so improving the process of ripening.



The gravel deposits form clearly etched outcrops in the hillocky landscape. For the most part they are exceptionally well exposed, and fairly steeply sloping, so ensuring excellent natural drainage. In the Pessac-Léognan area, this drainage is reinforced by an extensive system of minor water courses, tributaries of the Garonne.



The soil is so impoverished that it is incapable of supporting anything other than vines or woods. However the characteristics outlined above ensure the production of GRAVES wines, with all of their marked typicity.



The GRAVES area is protected from extremes of weather by the pine forest of the Landes Girondines, its neighbour to the west. The climate is representative of that of the Gironde in general : temperate, mild, with a regular rainfall, all features favourable to the vine, and resulting from the proximity of the ocean.

Grapes varieties :

The grape varieties found in the graves vineyards are the result of selection based on the experience of generations of vine growers.

		For red wines, the varieties are : - Cabernet-Sauvignon : the oldest Bordeaux grape variety, the one which allows the wine to keep well and at the same time develop a remarkable bouquet. - Merlot : wines made from Merlot develop ripe fruit aromas and are often relatively light in tannins. They are well-coloured and develop more rapidly than those made with Cabernet- Sauvignon, with which they combine particularly well. - Cabernet Franc : present in smaller quantity than the two varieties above, it still plays a significant role, ensuring suppleness and elegance by means of its high sugar content and its particular tannins. - The varieties Petit Verdot, Cot (or Malbec) and Carmenère play a minor role.
		For the white wines, we find : - Sauvignon : providing a high sugar content and great possibilities for the development of aroma. It makes dry white wines of a pale yellow colour with a particularly fine and pronounced bouquet, developing great complexity with age. - Sémillon : the dominant grape variety in the region. It produces golden, full-bodied wines of great finesse. - Muscadelle : utilised sparingly, bringing floral notes and fruit flavour to the wine.