The Médoc region is arguably Bordeaux's most famous appellation - its name can be attributed to more of the world's fine wines than any other (all of which however are classified under their higher communal appellations).
The Medoc is situated on the western bank of the Gironde Estuary and covers a 50 mile (80km) long strip from the city of Bordeaux towards the Atlantic Ocean. From the commune of Saint Seurin to the south is the sub-region Haut-Médoc where the fine wines of this region abound. To the north of Saint Seurin is the main area of Medoc (once commonly referred to as Bas-Medoc). Here the wines are far less ambitious and cellar-worthy although significant changes have taken place over the last 25 years. These include extensive replanting, as well as the appropriation of winemaking techniques used by the more successful Haut-Médoc regions. This has resulted in some producers gaining a reputation for making consistently high-quality red wines that are very attractively priced. The sub-regions of Médoc showcase an array of terroirs and as a result provide a range of very distinctively styled wines.
Over time the waters from the Garonne river, one of the Gironde Estuary's main tributaries, has 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 it is well drained and helps to reduce the diurnal temperature variations during ripening. Further north in the Medoc, the gravels give way to less free-draining soils with a higher clay content. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher)
Being sandwiched between the Atlantic coast and the Gironde estuary, the Medoc boasts one of the mildest climates of the Bordeaux region. The heavily forested coast offers protection from strong winds off the Atlantic while also helping to moderate the climate. The Medoc is, however, also the wettest of Bordeaux's sub-regions, a title that comes with hazards such as increased fruit damage and higher risk of fungal diseases.
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