WineRegionsOld WorldFranceBordeaux
The Medoc
Traveling northwest from Bordeaux into the Medoc, the first vineyards encountered
produce mild, unexceptional wines, but from Ludon onward, the wines become
progressively more characterful, acquire finesse and, after Margaux, gain
considerable body. Beyond St.-Estephe the wines are rustic, the firmness
of body eventually turns to coarseness, and the finesse fades. The Medoc
takes its name from the Latin medio aquae "between the waters,"
referring to the Gironde and the Atlantic. It is a long, thin strip of prized
wines, extending northwest from the city limits of Bordeaux to the Pointe
de Grave. At its centre is the classic area of Bordeaux where the vast majority
of the most famous chateau are located, and yet this was the last major
district of the region to be cultivated.
The four famous communes of Margaux, St. Julien. Pauillac and St.-Estephe,
plus the two less well-known but developing communes of Listrac and Moulis,
found in the Haut-Medoc, where the wines are fine firm and fleshy. The Haut
Medoc begins at Blanquefort and le Taillan, on the outskirts of the City;
along the northern reaches of the Graves district. The wines here are fairly
neutral and lack definition. The greatest wines of Haut Medoc are found
in the area beginning at Ludon with Chateau la Lagune, the first cru classe
encountered north of the City. It is no coincidence that fine Bordeaux growths
like Chateau d'Agassac are also to he found nearby.
The wines at Margaux are soft and velvety and full of feminine charm, although
very much "vins de garde." The wines of St.-Julien are elegant
with a very pure flavor. They have the delicate touch of Margaux, yet lean
closer to Pauillac in body. The wines of Pauillac are powerful, often having
a rich blackcurrant flavor with intriguing hints of cedar and tobacco. These
are wines of great finesse and, with no less than three of the four First
Growths, Pauillac can he considered the greatest appellation of the Medoc.
St.-Estephe includes many minor growths of rustic charm and a few classic
wines. Technology is changing the robustness of its spicy wines to richness.
Beyond St.-Estephe lies the commune of St.-Seurin-de-Cadourne which is entitled
to AOC Haut-Medoc, after which the appellation becomes simply Medoc. This
area, formerly known as the Bas-Medoc, has a somewhat lesser reputation.
However, many exceptional wines are made here: the triangle from St.-Yzans
to Lesparre to Valeyrac includes such outstanding minor growths as Loudenne,
Potensac, la Cardonne, Blaignan, les Ormes-Sorbet, la Tour-St.-Bonnet, la
Tour-de-By and Patache d'Aux. Some of these wines have a luxurious touch
of new oak and some are simply stunning on their own, but it is true to
say that the general style is more simplistic than in the Haut-Medoc.