A PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) is a French label awarded since 1935 to protect a name in a territory. It assure consumers that a product is authentic, come from the terroir and has been produced with the local know-how of a region. The geographical scope of product protection could be different depending of the type of the PDO. Thus, through this article, you will discover the specificities of the PDO Margaux.
History
The PDO Margaux os recognised since the 10 august 1954. This communal appellation is the only one of the Médoc to bear the name of a first grand cru classified: Château Margaux. It also has the largest number of Castles (21 in total) in the 1855 classification:
- Premier Cru : only 1, the Château Margaux
- Deuxièmes Crus : 5
- Troisièmes Crus : Château Cantenac Brown and 9 others
- Quatrièmes Crus : 3
- Cinquièmes Crus : 2
Wine variety and production
The vineyards of Margaux are constituted for the majority of Cabernet Sauvignon, a large quantity of Merlot and small quantities of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. PDO Margaux is exclusively for red wines. Each year, 63,000 hl of red wine (=9 million of bottles) are produced in the Margaux appellation.
Geography and geology of PDO Margaux
This AOC is located in the Bordeaux vineyards and more precisely in the south of the Médoc. The vineyard of Margaux covers nearly 1,410 hectares, or 8.5% of the medocan vineyard. It is located in the municipalities of Margaux, Cantenac, Soussans, Labarde and Arsac.
Nowhere in the Médoc is the soil more gravelly than in Margaux. Indeed, the exceptional quality of the terroir comes from its gravelly croups (8 to 21 meters) whose soil is so poor that it can only be suitable for vines.
