Location and landscape
Margaux is the former commune which, on 1 January 2017, became the administrative seat of the newly formed commune of Margaux-Cantenac in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The town is located on the left bank of the Gironde in the Médoc and belongs to the wine region Bordeaux. The landscape consists of gentle slopes below the wooded plateau and above the Gironde estuary; the height difference is usually less than 20 metres.
Soils and climate
The temperate oceanic climate is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde. Rainfall-rich low-pressure systems in autumn contribute to the different characteristics of the vintages. The vineyard soils are mainly the result of plio-quaternary and quaternary river deposits of the Garonne, which form terraces. These rise as wine-growing hills of about 6 to 33 metres high with a dense drainage network; their deposits include sandy clay, gravel and pebbles of varying size. In the lower-lying eastern palus, muddy loams predominate.
Viticulture and appellation
The Margaux appellation is reserved exclusively for dry red wines and includes Arsac, Cantenac, Labarde, Margaux-Cantenac and Soussans. A minimum of 7,000 vines per hectare and a row spacing of at most 1.50 metres are prescribed. Among others, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cot, Merlot and Petit Verdot are permitted; Castets may, as an adaptation variety, make up at most five percent of the planting of an estate. The wines are described as intensely red, fine, fruit-forward and age-worthy. They must mature for at least until 1 June of the year following the harvest and may be marketed from 1 September of the same year.
History and Château Margaux
Vines already existed in the area during the Gallo-Roman period. Larger vineyards developed from the 16th century onwards, while drainage works under Louis XIV promoted the development of viticulture. The modern vineyard was laid out largely around 1760; the AOC was recognised in 1954. The Château Margaux, known since at least the 12th century as La Mothe de Margaux, was remodelled between 1572 and 1582 by Pierre de Lestonnac and classified as a Premier Grand Cru in 1855.
