Médoc AOC
Encyclopedia
Médoc is an AOC
for wine
in the Bordeaux wine region of southwestern France
, on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary
that covers the northern section of the viticultural
strip along the Médoc
peninsula. The zone is sometimes called Bas-Médoc (Low-Médoc), though this term is not permitted on any label. With few exceptions there is produced only red wine, and no white wine has the right to be called Médoc.
The term Médoc is often used in a geographical sense to refer to the whole Left Bank region, and as defined by the original Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
(INAO) decree of November 14, 1936, the appellation may be applied to all wine produced in the prescribed zone in the peninsula, but this is rare practice by estates within Médoc's sub-appellations as it carries lesser perceived prestige. Effectively it covers the northern third of the Médoc peninsula, defined by a border that runs from Saint-Yzans
and Saint-Germain-d'Esteuil
(at the northern edges of Haut-Médoc AOC
and Saint-Estèphe AOC
) in the south, to Soulac-sur-Mer
in the north, although viticultural activity ends near Vensac
. In all sixteen wine-producing communes are exclusive to Médoc, and Bégadan
, Saint-Christoly
, Ordonnac
, Saint-Yzans and Saint-Germain-d'Esteuil have historically enjoyed a reputation level to communes of the northern Haut-Médoc.
Predominantly an area of cooperatives today, none of the estates were included in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
, although several have been included in the (eventually discontinued) classification Cru Bourgeois
.
The soils are Garonne gravel, Pyrenees gravel and clayey limestone with extreme variation in character. There are frequent areas of heavy, clay-rich, moisture-retentive soils better suited for cultivation of the Merlot
grape than Cabernet Sauvignon
, and vineyards are less densely packed than further south, intermingled with other forms of agriculture.
Of the grape varieties permitted by INAO in Médoc, 50% of the viticultural area is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and to a lesser extent Petit Verdot
and Malbec
(locally called "Côt"). Also allowed within the AOC regulations are the varieties Cabernet Franc
and Carménère
.
The INAO specifications demand the following production norms: a minimum of sugar, 170 grams (6 oz) per litre of must
, maximum base yield of 50 hecolitres per hectare, and a minimum alcohol by volume
of 10%.
The regulations also exclude viticultural activity in the communes Carcans
, Hourtin
, Brach
, Salaunes
, Lacanau
, Le Temple
, Le Porge
, and on "land of recent alluvium and sand lying on impermeable subsoils".
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
for wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
in the Bordeaux wine region of southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary
Gironde estuary
The Gironde is a navigable estuary , in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just below the centre of Bordeaux...
that covers the northern section of the viticultural
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
strip along the Médoc
Médoc
The Médoc is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
peninsula. The zone is sometimes called Bas-Médoc (Low-Médoc), though this term is not permitted on any label. With few exceptions there is produced only red wine, and no white wine has the right to be called Médoc.
The term Médoc is often used in a geographical sense to refer to the whole Left Bank region, and as defined by the original Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin . Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture...
(INAO) decree of November 14, 1936, the appellation may be applied to all wine produced in the prescribed zone in the peninsula, but this is rare practice by estates within Médoc's sub-appellations as it carries lesser perceived prestige. Effectively it covers the northern third of the Médoc peninsula, defined by a border that runs from Saint-Yzans
Saint-Yzans-de-Médoc
Saint-Yzans-de-Médoc is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
and Saint-Germain-d'Esteuil
Saint-Germain-d'Esteuil
Saint-Germain-d'Esteuil is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
(at the northern edges of Haut-Médoc AOC
Haut-Médoc AOC
Haut-Médoc is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of southwestern France, on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary...
and Saint-Estèphe AOC
Saint-Estèphe AOC
Saint-Estèphe is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for red wine in the Bordeaux region, located in the Médoc subregion. It takes its name from the commune of Saint-Estèphe and is the northernmost of the six communal appellations in Médoc. Five classified growths of 1855 are located within the...
) in the south, to Soulac-sur-Mer
Soulac-sur-Mer
Soulac-sur-Mer is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the north, although viticultural activity ends near Vensac
Vensac
Vensac is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
. In all sixteen wine-producing communes are exclusive to Médoc, and Bégadan
Bégadan
Bégadan is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Christoly
Saint-Christoly-Médoc
Saint-Christoly-Médoc is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Ordonnac
Ordonnac
Ordonnac is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:...
, Saint-Yzans and Saint-Germain-d'Esteuil have historically enjoyed a reputation level to communes of the northern Haut-Médoc.
Predominantly an area of cooperatives today, none of the estates were included in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world...
, although several have been included in the (eventually discontinued) classification Cru Bourgeois
Cru Bourgeois
The Cru Bourgeois classification lists some of the high quality wines from the Left Bank Bordeaux wine regions that were not included in the 1855 Classification of Classed Growths, or Grands Crus Classés...
.
Médoc AOC
The area covers approximately 5,700 hectares of declared vineyards, constituting 34.5% of the Médoc total, annually producing on average 300,000 hectolitres of wine.The soils are Garonne gravel, Pyrenees gravel and clayey limestone with extreme variation in character. There are frequent areas of heavy, clay-rich, moisture-retentive soils better suited for cultivation of the Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
grape than Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, and vineyards are less densely packed than further south, intermingled with other forms of agriculture.
Of the grape varieties permitted by INAO in Médoc, 50% of the viticultural area is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and to a lesser extent Petit Verdot
Petit verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
and Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
(locally called "Côt"). Also allowed within the AOC regulations are the varieties Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
and Carménère
Carmenère
The Carménère grape is a wine grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used to produce deep red wines and occasionally used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot....
.
The INAO specifications demand the following production norms: a minimum of sugar, 170 grams (6 oz) per litre of must
Must
Must is freshly pressed fruit juice that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. The solid portion of the must is called pomace; it typically makes up 7%–23% of the total weight of the must. Making must is the first step in winemaking...
, maximum base yield of 50 hecolitres per hectare, and a minimum alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
of 10%.
Carcans
Carcans is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Carcans is a member of the Community of Municipalities Médoc's Lakes which includes the municipalities of Lacanau, Carcans and Hourtin : the territory Médoc Océan : http://www.medococean.co.uk/-Population:-External...
, Hourtin
Hourtin
Hourtin is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Hourtin is a member of the Community of Municipalities Médoc's Lakes which includes the municipalities of Lacanau, Carcans and Hourtin : the territory Médoc Océan : http://www.medococean.co.uk/-Population:-External...
, Brach
Brach
Brach is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:...
, Salaunes
Salaunes
Salaunes is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:...
, Lacanau
Lacanau
Lacanau is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Lacanau is a surfing area.Lacanau is a member of the Community of Municipalities Médoc's Lakes which includes the municipalities of Lacanau, Carcans and Hourtin : the territory Médoc Océan :...
, Le Temple
Le Temple, Gironde
Le Temple is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Le Porge
Le Porge
Le Porge is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-Population:-External links:*...
, and on "land of recent alluvium and sand lying on impermeable subsoils".
Estates
Of the 584 viticultural properties of Haut-Médoc, 239 are independent wineries and 345 are in winemaking cooperatives. Four out of five cooperatives belong to the group Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing.| Château de By | Château La Cardonne | Château Castéra |
| Château La Clare | Château Greysac | Château Laujac |
| Château Livran | Château Loudenne | Château de Monthil |
| Château les Ormes-Sorbet | Château Patache-d'Aux | Château Potensac Château Potensac Château Potensac is a winery in the Médoc appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels as of the 2003 listing. The classification was eventually banned from use in 2007.... |
| Château Plagnac | Château Preuillac | Château Saint-Bonnet |
| Château Saint-Saturnin | Château Sestignan | Château Sigognac Château Sigognac Château Sigognac is a château in Gironde, Aquitane, France.... |
| Château La Tour de By | Château Le Tertre-Caussan | Château La Tour Haut-Caussan |
| Château La Tour-Saint-Bonnet | Château La Valière | Vieux Château Landon |