Winegeeks

“M” appellations

Margaux

Located far to the south of the other famous Haut-Médoc appellations of Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Julien, Margaux is separated from the others by an odd swath of swampland in this land of manicured gardens and grand estates. Nonetheless, it is just as famous as the others, and boasts 20 of the original 61 classifed growths from the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux wines, including the first growth Château Margaux. The appellation of Margaux consists of five smaller communes (Margaux, Arsac, Cantenac, Soussans and Labarde) and is the largest in the haut-Médoc, though most of the best Châteaus are located closer to the junction of the Gironde and the Garonne rivers.

The soil type is generally dry, coarse gravel, with sand and some clay mixed in. The wines of Margaux are generally thought to be the most aromatic and elegant of the Haut-Médoc, an area known for producing aromatic and elegant wines. While this can be true, as the best wines have substance and weight, but also a perfumed grace that is described as more feminine than other areas of the Haut-Médoc, there are also many examples of under-performing or maddeningly inconsistent estates. At times the wines can be described less as light and graceful and more as diluted and thin, and except for the top estates it is best to stick to the best vintages.

Like the other areas in the Haut-Médoc, this is the home of Cabernet Sauvignon, as this varietal forms the backbone of the wines of Margaux. But there is also a higher quantity of Merlot and Cabernet Franc mixed in, depending on which soil you are standing in. Like all classified Bordeaux, Margaux can be very expensive, but the best wines can be well worth it. Silky when young, like velvet when old, and always with a perfumed floral aspect not found in the other wine of the region, they can be beguiling examples of the grace of Bordeaux.

White wines from the region, though rare, are sold as either AC Bordeaux or Bordeaux Supérieur.

Visit our Bordeaux page for an in depth look at the history of Bordeaux.

Location

France → Bordeaux → Haut-Médoc

Appellation Type

French AOC

Wineries (24)

Baron de Brane
Ch�teau Brane-Cantenac
Ch�teau Cantenac-Brown
Ch�teau du Tertre
Ch�teau Lascombes
Ch?au d'Issan
Ch?au Tayac
Château Boyd-Cantenac
Château Brane-Cantenac
Château Cantenac-Brown
Château d'Issan
Château Durfort-Vivens
Château Ferrière
Château Giscours
Chateau Grand Tayac
Château Kirwan
Chateau Labegorce Lede
Château Lascombes
Château Malescot St.-Exupéry
Château Margaux
Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker
Château Palmer
Château Rausan-Ségla
Château Rauzan-Gassies

Wines (26)

Chateau Grand Tayac Margaux NV Margaux Red
Chateau Labegorce Lede Margaux 1995 Margaux Red
chateau margaux 1984 Margaux Red
Ch?au d'Issan Margaux 2001 Margaux Red
Chateau Brane-Cantenac Margaux 2004 Margaux Red
Ch�teau Lascombes Margaux 2004 Margaux Red
Ch�teau Brane-Cantenac Margaux 2003 Margaux Red
Ch�teau du Tertre Margaux 2004 Margaux Red
Baron de Brane Margaux 2005 Margaux Red
Ch�teau Cantenac-Brown Margaux 2004 Margaux Red
Chateau Cantenac-Brown Margaux 2001 Margaux Red
Chateau Lascombes Margaux Chateau Las 2003 Margaux Red
Chateau Cantenac-Brown Margaux 2000 Margaux Red
Ch?au Tayac Grand Tayac 2005 Margaux Red
Château Rausan-Ségla Margaux 1989 Margaux Red
Château Prieuré-Lichine Margaux 2003 Margaux Red
Château Margaux Margaux 1993 Margaux Red
Château Boyd-Cantenac Margaux 1982 Margaux Red
Château Giscours Margaux 1970 Margaux Red
Château Dauzac Margaux Bordeaux 2003 Margaux Red
Château Palmer Margaux 2000 Margaux Red
Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge Margaux 1990 Margaux Red
Château Palmer Margaux 1998 Margaux Red
Château d'Issan Margaux 2003 Margaux Red
Château Margaux Pavillon Blanc 1999 Margaux White
Château Lascombes Margaux 1999 Margaux Red