The Médoc is arguably the most famous red wine district in the world, home to many of the greatest and most renowned names of Bordeaux. Stretching north-west from the city of Bordeaux with the Gironde estuary to the east, the vineyards extend up to eight miles from the river and run for about 50 miles northwards.
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Is Medoc part of Bordeaux?
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.
What qualifies as a Bordeaux?
Bordeaux (“Bore-doe”) refers to a wine from Bordeaux, France. Over 90% of Bordeaux wines are red wines made with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Is Haut Medoc a Bordeaux?
Haut-Médoc (French: [o medɔk]) is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of southwestern France, on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary.
What is French Medoc?
The Médoc (French pronunciation: [meˈdɔk]; Gascon: Medòc [meˈðɔk]) 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 (Pagus) Medullicus, or “country of the Medulli”, the local Celtic tribe.
How many chateaus are in the Medoc?
Almost 400 different chateaus produce wine or operate vineyards in the Haut Medoc today. Out of that number, about 250 produce and sell their own wine. The remaining 150 growers sell their wine or grapes to local cooperatives or negociants. In an average year, 2,333,000 cases of wine are produced.
Are Graves Medoc?
In the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, only one Graves property, Château Haut-Brion, one of the four original First growths, was included among the red wines, with all the rest being Médoc properties.A classification of Graves wine was carried out in 1953 for its red wine producers.
What wine is similar to Bordeaux?
The Cabernet-led Petra Toscana Rosso, the Bindi Sergardi Simbiosi Rosso Toscana, and the Tenute Rossetti Linda Bolgheri DOC are all more affordable alternative Bordeaux blends to consider. The Bindi Sergardi Simbiosi Rosso Toscana, and the Tenute Rossetti Linda Bolgheri DOC.
What does Bordeaux taste like?
The taste of Bordeaux wine from the Left Bank delivers fruit scents and flavors of cassis, blackberry, dark cherry, vanilla, black cherry, coffee bean, spice and licorice. The wines are often concentrated, powerful, firm and tannic. Depending on the specific wine, it can appear to be austere in character in its youth.
What does Medoc taste like?
Complex, elegant, oaked, notes of blackberry, currant, licorice, and sometimes spices and mint.
Is Medoc a claret?
‘Claret’ has been a British synonym for red Bordeaux for centuries.
What grape is Haut Medoc wine?
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the main grape varieties, covering approximately 4650 hectares (11,490 acres). White wines made in Haut-Médoc AOP vineyards are bottled as Bordeaux Blanc.
Is Haut Medoc a good wine?
Haut-Médoc wines tend to be firm and fine with generous fruit and a nice minerality – what many would consider ‘classic Claret’. They come from loftier vineyards and offer higher quality and more complexity than those labelled simply as ‘Médoc’.
Where is Medoc France?
Médoc, wine-producing district, southwestern France, on the left bank of the Gironde River estuary, northwest of Bordeaux. An undulating plain extending for about 50 miles (80 km) to Grave Point, the Médoc is renowned for its crus (vineyards).
Is Medoc a blend?
The Médoc AOC is primarily known for its easy-drinking red blends made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère.As in the Médoc AOC, the blends here are made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère.
Is Médoc a dry wine?
Only red wine is produced in the Medoc. However, there are some estates in the Medoc that also make dry, white Bordeaux wine. Those wines are sold as generic AOC Bordeaux.As you continue to travel north, the Medoc includes the famous appellations of Saint Julien, Pauillac, and Saint Estephe in the far north.
Is Pauillac a Bordeaux?
Pauillac, a commune located between Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Julien on Bordeaux’s Médoc peninsula, is home to some of the world’s most famous and expensive red wines wines, made predominantly from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety.
What is the difference between Left Bank and right bank Bordeaux?
Because of those differences in terroir, Left and Right Bank Bordeaux tend to showcase two different grapes: Left Bank wines are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon fleshed out with Merlot; Right Bank wines are more Merlot balanced by a smaller proportion of Cabernet.
Is Graves a Bordeaux wine?
Graves is a wine district on the left bank of the Bordeaux region in France, characterized by the gravel soils (graves) after which it is named. Unique among Bordeaux’s sub-regions, Graves is equally respected for both its red wines as for its whites.
What is Margaux wine?
Margaux is a wine growing commune and Appellation d’origine contrôlée within Haut-Médoc in Bordeaux, centred on the village of Margaux. Its leading (premier cru) château is also called Margaux. It contains 21 cru classé châteaux, more than any other commune in Bordeaux.
What is a white Bordeaux wine?
White Bordeaux wine is produced from blends featuring mostly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.A very, small amount of odd white wine grapes are also planted in less prestigious areas in the region for the production of dry white Bordeaux wine; Colombard, Folle Blanche, and Ugni Blanc.
