Médoc AOC

The Médoc (the name means "middle land") is a triangular peninsula in the department of Gironde in south-west France. It lies to the north-west of the city of Bordeaux between the Gironde estuary formed by the confluence of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and the Atlantic coast of the Côte d'Argent (Silver Coast) on the Bay of Biscay. The strip, which is around 70 kilometres long and 5 to 12 kilometres wide and is dominated by many vineyards, is occasionally interrupted by pastureland, scrubland and polders (floodplain).

The area is divided into two regional appellations (Bas-Médoc and Haut-Médoc) and six communal appellations within Haut-Medoc with around 16,000 hectares of vineyards. Médoc is probably the most famous appellation in Bordeaux and also one of the most important and best red wine regions in France and the world. Typical are the numerous magnificent châteaux, which also deserve this designation (as "château") from an architectural point of view. However, this is not a sign of quality, as there are also wine estates with simple buildings that produce excellent wines.

History

Viticulture came to this region relatively late. In the 17th century, under the guidance of Dutch dam and hydraulic engineering specialists, the coasts were levelled, swampy areas drained and streams regulated. This is why the area was called "La Petite Hollande" for a long time. As there was no viticulture in the area at that time, the Dutch bought wines from the "Bordeaux hinterland", which was known as the Haut-Pays and the wines from there as "Vin de Haut" or "Hooglansche Wijn" in Dutch. Later, many vineyards were planted or small areas were acquired and combined into larger estates, including by the famous Ségur family.

Climate & soil

Médoc has particularly favourable conditions for viticulture. These are the mild climate, the very poor and deep gravel soil in many places, which forces the vines to drive their roots deep into the ground, as well as the good drainage in the soil. Despite the immediate proximity to the Atlantic, the climate is not humid, as the many pine forests provide excellent protection against winds and rain from the west.

Bas-Médoc & Haut-Médoc

Médoc is divided into the northern area Bas-Médoc with 5,600 hectares and the southern area Haut-Médoc with 4,600 hectares of vineyards (excluding the six communes). The border runs from Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne to the north of the commune of Saint-Estèphe. Haut-Médoc begins at the southern corner of the commune of Blanquefort, which forms the northern border with the Graves area. Both areas are also entitled to their own appellation.

They are characterised by very different soil types. In Haut-Médoc, the wines are categorised somewhat higher due to the gravelly soil and have more race and finesse. The six famous communes of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac-Médoc, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Julien form their own appellations within Haut-Médoc.

The wines from the other communes are labelled "Haut-Médoc", the wines from Bas-Médoc simply "Médoc" or rarely "Bas-Médoc". They are made from the typical Bordeaux blend grape varieties, with Cabernet Sauvignon tending to dominate in Haut-Médoc and Merlot in Bas-Médoc. However, the mix of grape varieties differs mainly depending on whether you are on the Rive droite (right bank) or Rive gauche (left bank) of the Garonne/Dordogne or Gironde. The less important white wines are mainly made from Sauvignon Blanc.

Bordeaux classification

The famous Bordeaux classification was established in 1855 (see details there). Out of a total of 4,000 châteaux or red wines, only 61 (number from today's perspective) were deemed worthy. With the sole exception of Château Haut-Brion from the Graves region, only châteaux from the Médoc are included. The official presentation took place with great pomp in the presence of Emperor Napoleon III (1808-1873) on 18 April 1855.

The châteaux were grouped into five classes: Premier, Deuxième, Troisième, Quatrième and Cinquième. Château Lafite-Rothschild was at the top of the list. A facsimile of the handwritten original documents:

Ranking of the Châteaux

In a letter from the jury to the Chamber of Commerce dated 16 September 1855, it was noted that there was no qualitative ranking and that wines of the same level were equal. But just one month earlier, the opposite was claimed. Another argument against "equality" is that the châteaux/wines were not organised either by commune or alphabetically. Allegedly, the order corresponded to the average price achieved in the long term. The simple reason was probably to avoid upsetting anyone and prevent endless disputes and protests.

Note on the label

Today, the class is rarely mentioned on the label, which often simply states "Grand Cru Classé en 1855". However, the less prestigious Deuxièmes do make reference to it. Baron Philippe de Rothschild also took the opportunity in 1973 to document the elevation of Château Mouton-Rothschild to the first rank with the famous quote "Premier je suis, Second je fus, Mouton ne change" (First I am, Second I was, Mouton does not change) on the label designed by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). The châteaux that are "only" classified as fourth and fifth crus in particular usually deliberately omit this so as not to make their "low" rank too obvious.

Changes to the class compared to 1855

Surprisingly, there have only been two changes in rank to date. The best known is the reclassification of Château Mouton-Rothschild. After decades of struggle by Philippe de Rothschild (1902-1988), it was moved from second to first rank. The official document was signed by the then Minister of Agriculture and later President Jacques Chirac (1932-2019). It was also decided that the five Premier Crus would not be listed in order of rank, but in alphabetical order. However, with one exception: Château Haut-Brion is the only non-Médoc vineyard to always be listed last.

The lesser-known change is that of the "forgotten" Château Cantemerle. The wines were exported almost exclusively to Holland and were hardly known in France. This estate was not even included in the list published in April and was only added at the end in December. This can be easily recognised by the much smaller font and a different font (arrow). The intention was not to confuse the ranking.

Other changes

Compared to 1855, however, there have been other changes, some of them considerable. Most of the châteaux have changed considerably over time in terms of vineyard area and size. In contrast to the classification in Saint-Émilion, the boundaries of the Médoc vineyards can change without affecting the classification or ranking. The only requirement is that the plots must be located within the appellation. It is therefore the reputation of the vineyard that counts and not the quality of the site. The château name is regarded as an unchanging quality feature. However, this continuity actually applies to most châteaux.

Number of châteaux - 59 or 61

There is sometimes confusion about the number of "61 châteaux", as the original list from 1855 only contains 59 names. The reason for this is the division of ownership and the closure of an estate. Although the former Chateau Léoville had already been divided into three in 1826, it was valued as one wine estate. The two châteaux Pichon-Longueville and Batailley were only divided into two after 1855, so they are only included once each. And Château Dubignon no longer exists; the vineyards were transferred to Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry, Château Margaux and Château Palmer.

Ownership status

There were also some name changes. Only two of the wine estates classified in 1855 are still owned by the same family today as they were then: Château Langoa-Barton and Château Mouton-Rothschild. Today, the 61 châteaux cover around 3,000 hectares of vineyards, accounting for around 20% of Médoc production. The five Premier Châteaux are "national treasures" and may not be sold to foreigners, but only to the French.

List of classified châteaux

The column "R" shows the order in the original list and under "Name 1855" the names at that time:

Super-Seconds

This is the name given to those Deuxièmes-Châteaux that are close to or at Premier Cru level due to their outstanding wine quality. In the event of a new classification, these would end up at the very top. The following are frequently mentioned: Cos-d'Estournel, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Gruaud-Larose, Léoville-Las-Cases, Montrose, Pichon-Longueville Comtesse, Pichon-Longueville Baron and Rauzan-Ségla. According to experts, Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Château Lynch-Bages (5th place) and Château Palmer (3rd place) deserve 2nd place.

Further information

In France, there is a bewildering variety of classification systems for wines, vineyards and appellations. This is even the case within a single region, such as Bordeaux. In addition to Médoc, there are those of Graves, Saint-Émilion and Sauternes. There is a consistent system in Burgundy. See also under Grand Cru and quality system.

Map: By Domenico-de-ga from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Modifications from the original by Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer 2017
Facsimile Bordeaux classification: six amis
Napoleon III: by Adolphe Yvon - Walters Art Museum, Public domain, Link