Left bank · Médoc · six village appellations
Médoc wines: the appellations, from Saint-Estèphe to Margaux
The Médoc is the peninsula north of Bordeaux, between the Gironde estuary and the ocean. Its wines are reds from cabernet sauvignon and merlot, and almost all the red 1855 classified growths are here. Here are its appellations, north to south, and what sets them apart.
The Médoc appellations
Six village appellations, Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Moulis and Listrac, plus Haut-Médoc over the rest of the southern half and Médoc to the north. These are the ones we offer wines from, north to south:
Saint-Estèphe
The northernmost. More clay under the gravel: firm, fresh wines when young that need a few more years. Five classified growths, including Cos d'Estournel and Montrose. Saint-Estèphe wines
Pauillac
Deep gravel and the most cabernet sauvignon: the most structured wines of the Médoc. Eighteen classified growths, including three of the five first growths. Pauillac wines
Saint-Julien
The smallest of the great village appellations and the most consistent: three quarters of the vineyard belongs to classified growths. A style between Margaux and Pauillac. Saint-Julien wines
Margaux
Five villages in the south, on lean gravel: the most fragrant and finest wines of the Médoc. Twenty-one classified growths, more than any other appellation. Margaux wines
Moulis-en-Médoc
In the middle, inland, with no classified growth: cru bourgeois prices for wines that age like classified growths, led by Poujeaux and Chasse-Spleen. Moulis wines
Haut-Médoc
The whole south of the peninsula outside the village appellations: many crus bourgeois, and five classified growths, including La Lagune. The Médoc appellation, to the north, is on the same page. Haut-Médoc and Médoc wines
What makes a Médoc wine
Gravel ridges, pebbles and sand laid down by the rivers along the estuary: a lean soil that drains and holds heat, where cabernet sauvignon ripens. Merlot goes with it, plus a little cabernet franc and petit verdot. These are reds for keeping: firm tannins when young, blackcurrant, cedar with age. The further from the estuary, the more clay and limestone replace the gravel.
The 1855 classification listed sixty-one red wines; all are in the Médoc except one, Haut-Brion, in the Graves. The other châteaux are crus bourgeois or unclassified. The details are on the Bordeaux classifications page. The left bank carries on south of Bordeaux: see Graves and Sauternes wines.
What is the difference between Médoc and Haut-Médoc?
Médoc is the whole peninsula, and also an appellation on its northern part. Haut-Médoc is the southern appellation, outside the six village appellations. A Pauillac or a Margaux is geographically in the Haut-Médoc, but carries the name of its village.
Left bank or right bank: what is the difference?
The left bank, Médoc and Graves, grows mostly cabernet sauvignon on gravel: firmer wines that take longer to open. The right bank, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, grows mostly merlot on clay and limestone: rounder wines, ready sooner. See Libournais wines.
How long should a Médoc wine be kept?
Three to twelve years for a second wine, five to fifteen for a cru bourgeois, six to twenty-five for a classified growth, far longer for the first growths. A little longer in a great year, a little less in a weak one. Each appellation page gives the details.
Does the Médoc make white wine?
Very little. The Médoc appellations apply to reds only; the few whites from the peninsula, such as Château Margaux's Pavillon Blanc, are sold as Bordeaux.