How to understand Bordeaux wines - part 6 - Margaux and the southern Medoc

This week, we'll focus on the southern Medoc area of the Left Bank.  In particular, we'll examine the famed Margaux appellation and the area to the south of Margaux that includes Macau and Ludon-Medoc.  Most wines produced in Margaux and the southern Medoc are blends that contain a healthy portion of Cabernet Sauvignon along with Merlot and more modest portions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.

From Karen MacNeil's "Wine Bible":  "The southernmost and largest commune of the Medoc, Margaux has more classified estates than St. Estephe, Pauillac or St. Julien.  The aristocratic Chateau Margaux is here, of course, plus twenty other well-known properties.  The soil in Margaux is among the lightest and most gravelly in the Medoc, giving the best wines in the best years a sort of soaring elegance and refinement plus wonderful, generous aromas.  Margaux wines are often described as being like an iron fist in a velvet glove.  It has been this combination of power with delicacy that has given these wines their vaunted reputation."

The wines of Margaux are characterized as being soft and elegant.  They are usually well-structured, with pleasing aromas, silky texture, ripe fruit, and a sense of elegance.  The flagship, Chateau Margaux, produces long-lasting wines of the highest quality.  In addition to the many elite estates within the Margaux appellation, there are also numerous petit chateaux that produce very good to excellent wines.  In a premier vintage like 2005, the wines of the petit chateaux rise to exceptional peaks.  Although the prices of the 2005 vintage are somewhat higher than average (across the board), the outstanding quality of the wines means that, with some work, you can find value-priced gems that represent an extraordinary quality-to-price ratio.

Next week, we'll focus on other areas of the Left Bank such as St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien, and Haut-Medoc.  Most estates on the Left Bank (including Margaux and the others) have gravel soils that are particularly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon which is the major component of most Left Bank wines.  These wines are usually well-structured and have higher tannin levels which promote aging and result in long-lasting wines.  The taste profile for Left Bank wines includes aromas and flavors of cherries, currants, and black fruits, plus notes of spice and cedar.