When to drink a Pauillac?
Bordeaux · indicative values: the producer, the vintage and storage conditions come first.
Pauillac
Red: the drinking window
Recommended ageing: 8 to 30 years after the vintage.
For example, a 2020 Pauillac drinks best between 2028 and 2053, with a peak plateau around 2037-2048.
Vintage by vintage
A great year outlives an average one: the window moves with the vintage. The most recent rated years in Bordeaux, applied to the ageing for Pauillac given above.
| Vintage | Rating | Drink |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Great | 2031–2056 |
| 2022 | Outstanding | 2030–2058 |
| 2021 | Good | 2029–2051 |
| 2020 | Great | 2028–2053 |
| 2019 | Outstanding | 2027–2055 |
| 2018 | Outstanding | 2026–2054 |
| 2017 | Good | 2025–2047 |
| 2016 | Outstanding | 2024–2052 |
| 2015 | Outstanding | 2023–2051 |
| 2014 | Great | 2022–2047 |
| 2013 | Drink up | 2020–2034 |
| 2012 | Good | 2020–2042 |
The full history, back to the older vintages: Red Bordeaux.
How to read this window
Before the window opens, the wine is in its youth: fruit dominates, tannins or acidity can feel stern. During the peak plateau, everything falls into balance: this is the moment ageing prepares. Beyond it, the wine slowly declines: nothing unsafe, but the emotion fades. These are general benchmarks for the appellation, not a verdict on your bottle.
Curious where these numbers come from? The method is published in full: five levels from the estate down to the grape, corrected by the vintage and the bottle format.
Which dishes?
The classic pairings where Pauillac is one of the safe bets:
From the same region
Other appellations in Bordeaux, each with its own window:
- Margaux
- Saint-Estèphe
- Listrac-Médoc
- Moulis
- Saint-Émilion
- Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
- Pomerol
- Lalande-de-Pomerol
What about your bottles?
Caviste computes this window for every bottle in your cellar: photograph the label, the sheet fills itself in (estate, vintage, appellation) and the app tells you when a bottle reaches its peak. Discover Caviste.
