MÉDOC AND HAUT-MÉDOC
North of the City of Bordeaux
Vineyards start where Gironde estuary meets Atlantic Ocean
50 miles long
The Prince and the Pauper
Big difference between the northern and southern sections of the Médoc
North is rural, dotted with small vineyards and tidy homes
South is opulent with manicured vineyards and grand châteaus
High-profile appellations and châteaus in Haut-Médoc. The top four subappellations:
St.-Estèphe
Pauillac
St.-Julien
Margaux
Four of the five first-growths in Haut-Médoc
Lafite-Rothschild
Latour
Margaux
Mouton-Rothschild
BAS MÉDOC
Lower Médoc
Northern section of the Médoc
Called Bas Médoc, lower Médoc because lower in elevation
Other names: Médoc Maritime or the Médoc
Rural, with low, flat vineyard sites and some marshland
Cool and Damp
Climate and soils cooler in the Bas Médoc than in the Haut-Médoc
Narrower peninsula between the Atlantic and the Gironde...
