Haut-Médoc AOP

Question 1

Introduce a table to the Haut Medoc

Answer 1

The Haut-Médoc AOP covers a narrow corridor of land on the left bank of the Gironde in the southern Médoc. In the Haut-Médoc, the best vineyards are characterized by well-drained gravelly soils, perfectly suited to the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Dutch unearthed gravel mounds (croupes) during their drainage work in the 1600s, and the better châteaux are usually located upon these deeper banks of gravel, primarily located within the communes of Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, St. Julien, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis-en-Médoc, and Margaux. Thus, the Haut-Médoc and its commune appellations are home to some of the world’s most distinguished, pedigreed producers of Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines, enshrined in the famous, enduring 1855 Classification of Bordeaux. Commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III and carried out by the region’s courtiers, this classification ranked the top properties of Bordeaux by price prior to international exposure at the Universal Exposition in Paris later that year. All of the properties classified for red wine—with the exception of Château Haut-Brion in Graves—were Médoc châteaux, categorized by price into first through fifth growths.

Question 2

AOC Established

Answer 2

1936

Question 3

Minimum Potential Alcohol:

Answer 3

11%

Question 4

Minimum Must Weight

Answer 4

180 g/l (189 g/l for Merlot)

Question 5

Maximum Residual Sugar

Answer 5

3 g/l

Question 6

Élevage

Answer 6

Wines may not be released until June 15 of the year following the harvest

Question 7

Minimum Planting Density

Answer 7

6,500 vines per hectare

Question 8

Maximum Yields (Rendement de Base)

Answer 8

55 hl/ha

Question 9

Surface area

Answer 9

4,596 ha

Question 10

Blend

Answer 10

Cabernet Sauvignon is dominant, with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec often added

Question 11

Soil type

Answer 11

well-drained alluvial gravel terraces favored by Cabernet with the deep clays preferred by Merlot