Left Bank: Médoc

Question 1

Name the communes of the Haut Médoc. N-S

Answer 1

—St-Estèphe
—Pauillac
—St-Julien (does not border Margaux, there is a 10 km area of land classified only as Haut-Médoc)
—Listrac
—Moulis
*both Listrac and Moulis south of St-Julien, west of 10 km strip of land mentioned above, and NW of Margaux
—Margaux

Question 2

How far does Médoc AOP cover?

How is it split?

Answer 2

• -Médoc covers the entire wine-producing left bank of the Gironde Estuary, a 50-mile stretch northward from the city of Bordeaux.
• -it is subdivided into two sectors: the northern “lower” Bas-Médoc (not an actuall appellations, and the southern “upper” Haut-Médoc (its own commune).
• Bas-Médoc north of St. Estèphe; forest’s ability to buffer Atlantic winds and rain is reduced; more challenging vineyards.
• Gravel increases for drainage in the Haut-Médoc near the waters edge.
• *winegrowing only occurs on the eastern edge of the Médoc, never more than a dozen kilometers inland from the Gironde, and the best vineyards and châteaux properties are located in the Haut-Médoc.

Question 3

If a wine is labeled “Haut-Médoc” where typically is the wine produced?

Name a well known chateau that is unclassified and labed as “Haut-Médoc”?

Answer 3

—typically produced to the west of Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, and Saint-Julien, or south of Margaux

—Château Sociando-Mallet “SO-see-YAN-doe MAH-yeah”, lives on a small strip of Haut-Médoc land north of Saint-Estèphe, one of the leading unclassified estates of the Médoc. **EMP has 1990 for $375.

Question 4

What is the northernmost commune appellation in Haut-Médoc?

Describe style

Answer 4

St. Estèphe
—wines are sturdy and full-bodied reds with a slightly higher percentage of Merlot, due to a higher proportion of clay amongst the gravel. Tend to have more acidity and often less perfume—but they fill your mouth with flavor.
—does not contain any first growths, and it hosts only five classified growths overall. Château Cos d’Estournel, a “super-second” growth, is the most notable, making powerful wines in a polished modern style.

Question 5

What is the most important site for Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux?
Soils?
Style?

Answer 5

Pauillac
—considered classic Claret and home to three first growths: Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Mouton-Rothschild, and Château Latour.
—the gravel topsoil of the Haut-Médoc is at its deepest point, and the Cab Sauv-based wines are structured and long-lived.
—Lafite and Latour represent the pinnacle of Pauillac: Latour=brooding depth and concentration; Lafite=aromatics and elegance.

Question 6

What appellation in the Haut-Médoc has 80% of the vineyard land devoted to classed growths.
Style?

Answer 6

St. Julien
—produces less wine than the other communes, but the quality is very good: approximately 80% of the AOP is cru classé wine.
—soils consist of typical mounds of gravel, not as deep as in Pauillac.
—no first growths, but has five second growths, including the “super-seconds” of Château Léoville Las Cases and Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. Both can produce wine on par with premier cru estates. St-Julien reds typically demonstrate an elegant style.
—Like Chambolle-Musigny in Nuits, often defined by what it is not: elegant without being Margaux, firm without the power of Pauillac.

Question 7

What is the largest communal appellations of the Haut-Médoc?
Soils?
Style?

Answer 7

Margaux
—village of Margaux itself rests on thin, sandy gravel deposited over limestone, although the croupes in this appellation are typically shallow in comparison with those of St-Julien or Pauillac.
—appellation contains a greater diversity of soil types than its northern counterparts, with more clay in the outlying areas.
—feminine, emphasis on floral bouquet, exotic character and finesse. Often more aromatic and silkier than those produced north, although they may be a touch lighter in body.

Question 8

Name two AOPs in the Médoc without any 1855 classfied growths.
What is grown there?
Name the two famous estates of either of these two communes.

Answer 8

Listrac-Médoc AOP and Moulis-en-Médoc AOP are lesser appellations without classified growths.

• -both communes lack proximity to the Gironde which can keep Cab Sauv from ripening routinely, and Merlot is on the increase.
• **Château Chasse-Spleen and Château Poujeaux in Moulis are the most famous estates of either commune

Question 9

What are the five villages of Margaux AOP?

Locations?

Answer 9

CLAMS (Cantenac, Labarde, Arsac, Margaux, Soussans)
Soussans (most northernly)
Margaux (SE of Soussans)
Cantenac (South of Margaux)
Arsac (South of Catenac)
Labarde (East of Arsac and SE of Cantenac)

Question 10

Once believed to be routinely hard and unripe, what has improved the general Médoc AOP wines?

Answer 10

The infusion of Merlot, which performs more ably in the wet, windy clay vineyards of the northern reaches.

Question 11

What divides Pauillac’s Château Lafite-Rothschild from St-Estéphe?
What St-Estéphe growths live on the northern side of this border?

Answer 11

Jalle de Breuil, a stream/drainage ditch acts as a divider.

*Three of the five classed growths of St. Estèphe (Cos d’Estournel, Cos Labory and Lafon-Rochet) all live on the opposite jalle from Lafite Rotschild.

Question 12

How much of St-Estèphe is planted to Merlot?

Answer 12

40%. This is due to the higher proportion of clay resulting in richer and softer wines.

Question 13

Which commune has the deepest croupes of gravel in the Mèdoc?

Answer 13

Pauillac

Question 14

Where in Pauillac are Château Lafite-Rothschild and Château Latour?
Where is Mouton Rothschild?
Styles

Answer 14

—Lafite-Rothschild near the northern boundary of Pauillac (almost in St-Estèphe) while Latour (almost in St-Julien) sits on its SE edge.***Oddly, Lafite is more toward the smoothness and finesse of St-Julien, Latour more toward the emphatic firmness of a St-Estèphe.

—Mouton is south of Lafite in the north of Pauillac
***third kind of Pauillac: strong, dark, full of the savour or ripe blackcurrants, some say exotic.

Question 15

What commune in the Medoc has the most clay? Why do the wines tend to do better in hot vintages? Give two vintages examples.

Answer 15

St-Estèphe has the most clay. The soils are heavier and drain more slowly. This is why vines that grow in hot, dry summers, such as 2003 and 2010, retain more water and do better than those in well-drained soils to the south

Question 16

Describe the consistent flavor profiles and the longevity and the five first growths of Bordeaux

Answer 16

Château Lafite Rothschild is often considered the leader of the pack, and the price seems to denote that as well. To me Lafite always has a soft gentle mouthfeel of dark red fruits, blue fruits and black fruits mixed with graphite, cedar, smoke, new car leather and white pepper. Classic Pauillac notes. While it’s the oldest First Growth that I have had (1875, recorked twice in ’53 and ’86) I find that Lafite doesn’t age as well as some of its counterparts and severely disappoints in lesser vintages. The best vintage I have ever had (outside the 1875) was the ’61 however the ’90 is showing lots of potential.

Château Latour to me is the man amongst men. This wine is always masculine with a sometimes unyielding-like power that requires several decades to shed its thick overcoat of tannin. Classically built on a frame of dark black fruits that is woven thickly around a core of espresso, black chocolate, anise, black pepper and vanilla. I find it to be the most consistent, even in lesser vintages but demands time in the cellar or decanter or both to full show off its full potential. Latour reminds me of Grange Hermitage in the way it ages because it seem to plateau at about 15 years and level off for decades before returning to its ageing process. Best vintage to date in my opinion is the ’28 and ’59 and the ’82.

Château Mouton Rothschild in my opinion is the perfect balance between the finesse of Lafite and the power of Latour. Big in style with black and blue fruits with a super polished tannin profile with cigar, pencil shavings, crème de cassis and mint. In superlative vintages it soars to heights above the rest. It has structure and fruit that is accessible in its youth (by youth I mean 10+ years) but also has the ability to coast for decades in the cellar seamlessly. Along with Latour it has high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon but unlike Latour it doesn’t show off its power. It’s more like the “Iron fist in a velvet glove” scenario. The best vintages of Mouton I believe have to be the ’59 or ’61 for older examples however the ’86, when showing well, is the best Bordeaux I have ever had.

Château Margaux to me has always been an enigma. Excelling in lesser vintages better than the rest of its peers but not quite coming up to the level of the rest of the first growths in great years. Classically I find it to always have this tight core of spices such as cardamom, pepper, all spice and mustard filled out by black fruits, coffee, tobacco and violets. To me it’s the perfumeiest of the First Growths and I often describe as “a ballerina that needs to shave.” Always elegant and polished with just the right amount of Brett. The ’83 (of course) is fantastic however I think the better wine would include the more recent vintages of ’86, ’89 and ’90.

Château Haut Brion is known for having the least amount of Cabernet Sauvignon which one might come to the conclusion that the wines will be the softest of the group, I however, have never found this to be the case. For me it’s always the highest in the “Brett” department with coarse gritty tannins cloaked in a combination of dark red fruits and wild black fruits coated in gravely minerality. In fact the most mineral driven of the group which comes as no surprise to most given the vineyards locations and topsoil. The ’59 is absolutely mind blowing and has seemed to have stop ageing, flying around in holding pattern of greatness. Other vintages of note would be the ’49, ’61 and ’89.