Nowhere else in the world does Cabernet Sauvignon give better results than in Médoc. Such an adequacy between a varietal and a terroir is totally unique.
A challenging grappes for the viticulturist
The grape itself is challenging to bring to complete maturity. It is a "late" grape, that reaches ripeness way after the Merlot is harvested. The thick skin of the grape is full of tannins and it requires a full maturity to bring enough color, interesting aromas and structure without harshness. Cabernet Sauvignon is rather unforgiving. Should your grapes be harvested too early, and your wine will smell of green bell peppers and feel like sand paper on your throat. Should you wait too long and the acidity of the wine will plunge, the balance will be gone and aromas no more than a jammy red fruity whiff.
Learn more: vinification of red wines, vinification of white wines
The graves, the rocks that work!
The soil is more easy to understand: very gentle slopes, thick layers of white pebbles, rolled by the neighboring Gironde centuries ago. These extremely draining soils have a double virtue: they are poor in nutrients and without any pockets of water; this contributes to the finesse of the wines. During the day, the white pebbles accumulate heat which they release during the night, enhancing the slow maturation of the tannins.
The climate
The summers can be pretty hot in Bordeaux, and especially in the Médoc. Yet, bordered by the Gironde and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side, the climate is normally rather humid, especially in the Spring and in the Fall, and the nights remain fresh, which explains the depth and the elegance of Médoc wines to counterbalance the natural strength of the tannins.
Villages and châteaux
The best way to visit Médoc is to follow the "Route des Châteaux", a road that runs from village to village and that borders all the most prestigious properties. It begins with Château La Lagune when you come from Bordeaux, and it runs through Margaux, near the magnificent Château Margaux, towards Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe. On each side of the road, neo-Gothic, French Renaissance style and Rococo mansions touch each other. The litany of the names of the gates sounds like the description of the ideal Bordeaux cellar: Palmer, Léoville, Pichon, Latour, Lafite, Cos d'Estournel…
Learn more:
Official site Médoc
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