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The Medoc sub-region of Bordeaux is home to four of the most famous appellations in France: Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Margaux.
The Medoc runs along the western bank of the Gironde estuary, covering a 50-mile (80-km) strip from the city of Bordeaux to the Atlantic Ocean. Its larger, southern section is known as the Haut-Medoc, and it is here that more fine wine is produced per acre than almost anywhere else in the world. The northern section, once commonly referred to as Bas-Medoc, also produces quality wines, but to nothing like the same extent. Its wines are made under the generic Medoc appellation and are less ambitious and cellar-worthy. That said, significant changes have taken place over the last 25 years, including extensive replanting and the appropriation of winemaking techniques used by the more successful Haut-Medoc producers. This has resulted in some winemakers gaining a reputation for consistently high-quality red wines that are very attractively priced.
Over time, the waters from the Garonne river – one of the Gironde estuary's main tributaries – have left large gravel deposits in the soils of the Medoc. This is ideal for growing slow-ripening red wine grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, as the soil is well drained and magnifies the effects of diurnal temperature variation. Further north in the region the gravels give way to soils with a higher clay content, which are not as free draining; Merlot and Cabernet Franc are a better choice here.
With its location between the Atlantic coast and the Gironde estuary, the Medoc boasts one of the mildest climates of the Bordeaux region. The heavily forested coastline offers protection from strong winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean, while also helping to moderate the climate. The Medoc is, however, also the wettest of Bordeaux's sub-regions – resulting in hazards such as increased fruit damage and a higher risk of fungal disease.
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