Left Bank Red Wine Appellations

Question 1

Médoc AOC and Haut-Médoc AOC:

Answer 1

North of the city of Bordeaux. Both of these appellations are for red wine only and maximum yield is 55 hL/ha.
Wines can only be sold for consumption from mid-June of the year after the harvest.
Médoc AOC covers the northern end of the area and is mainly planted with nearly equal proportions of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Haut-Médoc AOC covers the area closest to Bordeaux city and the area includes the famous Left Bank individual communes discussed immediately below. Here the soils include warm, gravelly sites for Cabernet Sauvignon (50 per cent of plantings) and Merlot (44 per cent).
As these are large areas, wines labelled Médoc and Haut-Médoc come in a wide range of prices and quality levels.

Question 2

Haut-Medoc single commune appellations:

Name the four single Communes
what are their maximum yields?
where are they located?
What is their soil type predominantly?

Answer 2

The Haut-Médoc sub-region is the location of four famous single commune appellations: Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Margaux.
These four appellations are for red wines only, with a maximum yield of 57 hL/ha.
These appellations are adjacent to the Gironde estuary and its moderating influence and have a high proportion of warm gravelly soils enabling Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen.

Question 3

TASTING NOTE:

Single Commune red wine of the Left Bank:

Answer 3

The wines typically have

• pronounced intensity blackcurrant, green bell pepper (especially in cooler vintages) and red plum fruit, with vanilla and cedar oak notes.
• medium to high alcohol,
• high tannins a
• medium (+) bodied.

The wines in these four communal AOCs are typically very good to outstanding in quality and premium to
super-premium in price.

Question 4

Saint-Estèphe AOC

Answer 4

This is the most northerly and coolest of the four prestigious Left Bank Médoc communes, as it is closest to the Atlantic Ocean.
At 40 per cent, it has more Merlot planted than the other three, as it can ripen successfully here and is well suited to the clay soils away from the estuary. Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 50 per cent of the plantings and performs best on the gravel banks close to the estuary.
Due its cooler regional climate, Saint-Estèphe has a reputation for rustic wines that need many years in the bottle to soften the tannins. However, some wines are softer and more accessible, especially from the warmer gravel soils or where there is a significant proportion of Merlot in the blend.
Furthermore, the water retaining capacity of the clay soils has proven to be advantageous in recent dry, hot summers.
It has no First Growths but it does have second growths and a large number of Cru Bourgeois.

Question 5

Paulliac AOC

Answer 5

This appellation has a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon planted (around 62 percent) often on the gravel banks close to the estuary, enabling the variety to ripen fully in most years.
Many of the top estates have an even higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend (70-80 per cent), resulting in wines of high concentration and great longevity.
Stylistically it is regarded as the most structured wine of the Left Bank, with high tannins and high acidity,
giving it the capacity for long ageing.
Pauillac has three of the five first growths.
It also has the highest proportion of production of cru classé wine, around 85 per cent of production, followed closely by Saint-Julien.

Question 6

Margaux AOC

Answer 6

This appellation has a high proportion of cru classé production and one first growth.
There is slightly less Cabernet Sauvignon planted and slightly more Merlot.
It has stony, gravelly soils and being slightly further south, grapes ripen a few days earlier than for example in Pauillac and 7–10 days earlier than the more northern Medoc appellations.
This can be an advantage in cool years or if rain threatens. However, clay seams mean that some soils can require supplementary drainage, adding to the investment required.
Margaux has a reputation for perfumed wines with silky tannins.

Question 7

Listrac-Médoc AOC and Moulis AOC

Answer 7

These two appellations for red wines are further from the river than the four single commune appellations.
As a result, they benefit from less of the moderating influence of the estuary and have less gravel in the soils.
Apart from being able to release the wine for consumption slightly earlier, the AOC requirements are the same as for the four single communal appellations.
The wines are typically good to very good and mid-priced to premium priced.