Bordeaux is a vast region of fine wine, with many famous châteaux and communes. However, no Bordeaux name is more renowned than Médoc, the land that occupies the Left Bank of the Gironde. The Médoc lies down river from the city of Bordeaux and is the area of Bordeaux closest to the sea. Spread out along the hills of the Médoc are the vineyards and châteaux for which Bordeaux has become renowned the world over. Here Cabernet Sauvignon is king, supported by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and occasionally Malbec.
The Médoc contains hundreds of excellent wines and individual châteaux, some of which were deemed worthy of classified growth status in 1855. This was the last official classification of the wines of the Médoc. Although many fine wines are made throughout the Médoc, several communes stand above the rest, literally and figuratively. Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac, and St. Estèphe are by far the most important communes of the Médoc because of the consistent greatness of their wines. Nearly all of the classified growths of the Médoc hail from these four hallowed communes. And for many critics and connoisseurs, Pauillac is the greatest of the great for it contains Latour, Lafite, Mouton, Pichon-Lalande, and a coterie of other noble red wines.
Margaux
The name Margaux conjures more images of greatness than any other appellation in Bordeaux, and none of those images are associated with the economical or ordinary. Indeed there is nothing commonplace about the wines of the Margaux appellation nor would anyone, short of a billionaire, ever accuse the wines of Margaux of being inexpensive.
Margaux is the largest and most sprawling of the great communes of the Médoc, encompassing a little over 2,800 acres. It is situated in the southern Médoc just down river from the city of Bordeaux, which makes Margaux the nearest of the Médoc appellations to Bordeaux itself. In reality, the Margaux appellation includes five separate communes, each of which is entitled to bottle its wine as Margaux: Arsac, Cantenac, Labarde, Margaux and Soussans all qualify to bear the illustrious Margaux name.
A classic, fragrant perfume and an elegant, supple style are what distinguish the wines of Margaux from those of other Bordeaux communes. In addition, Cabernet Sauvignon rules the roost in Margaux, constituting up to 90% of the cepage in some Grand Vin like Château Margaux. Yet, in spite of the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon employed in the commune, the wines of Margaux nearly always retain an elegant suppleness that can be found nowhere else. At the same time, Margaux wines possess a true propensity for aging, which allows the finest wines of the appellation to develop tremendous complexity and texture – second to none – for decades. Exemplary bottles of Château Margaux from such illustrious vintages as 1900 and 1921 still exist, and there is currently no shortage of lesser known growths whose wines are worth seeking out after a decade or more in bottle.
Pauillac
Pauillac is Bordeaux's finest address. Home to three of Bordeaux's five First Growths (Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild, and Latour) and a long list of additional Classified Growths, Pauillac possesses the ideal Bordeaux terroir for the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Situated on gravel and limestone rich hills overlooking the Gironde River, the wines of Pauillac are noted for their age ability, complexity, opulence, and power. Typically, the finest wines of Pauillac rely more heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot or Cabernet Franc, which inclines them to a long, rich life. Some connoisseurs have even gone so far as to claim immortality for the greatest wines of the appellation, most notably Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild, and Latour from outstanding vintages.
St. Estèphe
St. Estèphe is one of the four precious jewels in the Haut-Médoc diadem. Although one could argue the merits of a few of the Médoc's lesser know jewels such as Listrac and Moulis, St. Estèphe, Pauillac, St. Julien, and Margaux are universally acknowledged to be the Médoc's crown jewels.
The 2,821 acre appellation of St. Estèphe sits astride the Gironde River, at the point where the river widens on its rush to the sea. It is also the Médoc appellation farthest from the city of Bordeaux. Here the soil is heavier and the wines are generally more dense and powerful than in the other three great Haut-Médoc appellations, lending themselves to extensive aging and earning the wines of St. Estèphe a reputation for longevity. Château Montrose and Cos d'Estournel are the most compelling wines of St. Estèphe and two of the most consistently outstanding red wines produced in all Bordeaux.
Bordeaux Regions: Graves : Medoc : St. Emilion
France | Burgundy | Contents Page
