Margaux is an important appellation in the Haut-Médoc district of Bordeaux, southwestern France. Located 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the city of Bordeaux, the appellation is famous for producing supple, perfumed wines, predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon, which can show excellent structure and longevity.
The other grapes permitted for use here are Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Fruit must come from vineyards planted to densities of 6500 to 10,000 plants per hectare (2600 to 4000 per acre).
Quality and quantity
The Margaux appellation contains 21 cru classé properties from the 1855 Bordeaux Classification (20 of which still exist) – more than any other so-called "Left Bank" (on the left bank of the Gironde estuary/Garonne river) appellation. It is also, geographically speaking, the largest in the Médoc. The total vineyard area of the appellation covers approximately 1530 hectares (3780 acres).
Margaux communes
Margaux is divided into four communes, or parishes (there were five communes in the appellation but the communes of Margaux and Cantenac were merged in 2017 to form the single commune of Margaux-Cantenac).
The commune of Soussans lies at the very north of the appellation, on the road to Saint-Julien, but actually bordering the commune of Arcins (part of the wider Haut-Médoc appellation). Soussans boasts no cru classé wines, unlike the commune of Margaux-Cantenac to the south.
The latter includes seventeen cru classé chateaux including first growth Château Margaux and the highly-regarded third growth, Château Palmer (considered one of the great Bordeaux estates) as well as the likes of Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac-Brown, Kirwan, Lascombes and Rausan-Ségla, to name a but a few.
Giscours and Dauzac are the crus classés based in the commune of Labarde to the south (which borders the wider Haut-Médoc commune of Macau), while Arsac (further inland to the southwest) is the location of fifth growth Château du Tertre.
Dispersed vineyard parcels
In Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Pauillac, the vineyards belonging to each château are often clearly divided and consolidated in a single plot, but in Margaux, this is not the case. Here, even vineyards belonging to the wealthier châteaux are dispersed and mixed in with those of their rivals. The result is that the idea of unique terroirs is generally diluted, and so winemaking practices and choice of grape varieties play more important roles in the character of wines.
Soils
Nonetheless, many claim the distinctive flavors and textures of Margaux wines generally can be put down to the local soils, if not the individual estates. In Margaux, the soils have a high gravel content (Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe have slightly more clay), which leads to excellent drainage and a low level of nutrients.
Vines grow well in poor, loose, free-draining soil; the poorer the soil, the deeper the vines must go to find water and nourishment. This makes them physically stronger and also allows them to reflect the specific characteristics of the deeper soils. The downside is that Margaux's wines can seem almost too light and delicate in cool vintages.
