BACK TO BASICS – MEdoc Peninsula
The Médoc peninsula north of Bordeaux probably produces better reds than any other wine district in the world. Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde estuary, its bleak, flat country begins at Blanquefort, north of Bordeaux and extends northwards for 50 miles to the Point de Grave.
The vineyards of the Médoc lie close to the Gironde, never more than eight miles inland from the estuary. The soil is well-drained gravel which allows the Cabernet Sauvignon vine to burrow deep into the minerally earth. A deep-rooted vine has a better chance of resisting both drought and heavy rain, and it certainly produces wine with greater character and class.
Before the phylloxera bug devastated the district in the late 19th century, the Médoc had twice as many productive vines as it does now. Even so, this is still an important vineyard, some 13,000 hectares in total - roughly the same size as the Alsace wine region.
The Médoc comprises eight appellations and annual production is about 6.5 million cases, the vast majority of which is red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape which gives structure and long life, but Merlot is also a crucial part of the grape mix, adding colour, fragrance and fruit to the finished wine.
The most famous vineyards are in sight of the waters of the Gironde, especially those in the four communes of Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac and St-Estäphe. Margaux is the first great village you reach as you drive north from Bordeaux. Its clarets are said to be the most elegant and refined in the Médoc thanks to fine, gravelly soil, but their style is very diverse.
St Julien produces consistent, well balanced wines; Pauillac's are very rich, with a whiff of cassis and cigar boxes; St-Estäphe's are solid and substantial owing to its heavier clay soil.
