Margaux

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Varieties of interest

Terroir

• The appellation extends along the left bank of the Gironde estuary across a series of gravelly terraces spread over four communes in the Gironde département.
• The high terrace of Villafranchian age, formed by a meander-type depositional process, contains pebbles no larger than 35 mm known as "graves dragées", found exclusively in the southern part of the commune of Arsac.
• The low and middle terraces derive from outwash events linked to glacial melt during ice ages and display coarser alluvial material, with pebbles frequently exceeding 80 mm.
• The terraces take the form of hills rising in steps between 6 and 33 metres in elevation, while the plateau to the west, covered by wind-blown Landes sand, sits between 30 and 40 metres in elevation.
• The temperate oceanic climate benefits from a temperature-moderating thermal effect provided by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde, with the proximity of the estuary serving to soften temperatures.

• From the sixteenth century onward, the great Bordeaux families introduced the "bourdieux" — true viticultural estates and forerunners of the châteaux — into the landscape of Margaux.
• A ruling of the Bordeaux Civil Tribunal dated 3 December 1923 established the first boundaries of the Margaux appellation, determining that it comprises the five communes of Margaux, Cantenac, Soussans, Arsac, and Labarde.
• By around 1760, virtually the entire modern vineyard had taken shape, and the so-called Belleyme map drawn up at that time differs little from the current vineyard cartography.

• The wines display an intense red colour, an excellent capacity for ageing, and are characterised by a certain finesse underscored by fruity aromas.
• Cabernet Sauvignon, the king grape of the Médoc, occupies nearly 60% of the planted area and imparts structure, bouquet, and ageing potential to the wine.
• Merlot, an indispensable blending variety that rarely accounts for more than 30% of the assemblage, brings roundness, generosity, and aromatic complexity, while Cabernet Franc contributes elegance and subtle spiced aromas.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 31 mars 2023, JORF 5 avril 2023
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVB