Northern Medoc

Medoc is a great piece of flat land, and its name is associated commonly with more fine wines than any other name in the world, with Margaux, St-Julien, Pauillac, St-Estephe and their surrounding villages all being ‘Medoc’ in location and style. However, the appellation Medoc is in fact more limited and less prestigious.

Formerly known as Bas-Medoc, it is the farthest reaches of the region, without the high points both physically and gastronomically with the Haut-Medoc to the south. The gravel gives way to lower, heavier, cooler and more clay-dominated soils north of St-Estephe, beyond the last commune of Haut-Medoc St-Seurin.

On the north and west lies the town of Lesparre which has been the capital since the days of English rule six centuries ago. Until recently vineyards here were alongside pasture, orchard, and woodland, but now the higher grounds with more gravel are covered with vines, centering on St-Yzans, St-Christoly, Couqueques, By and Valeyrac, along with the banks of the Gironde Estuary.

Vineyards also cover much of the interior in St-Germain-d’Esteuil, Ordonnac, Blaignan and Begadan. The producers here are hardest-pressed, when during the late 1990s they had invested to the buoyant market only to find consumers were only interested on the famous chateaux to the south.

There are no classed growths in Medoc, but the greatest concentration of the best of the rest, the Crus Bourgeois, as well as one of the only nine Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels and 13 Crus Bourgeois Superieurs. Chateau Potensac, classified Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnel in 2003, has the same owners as Chateau Leoville Las-Cases and situated on the same plateau as La Cardonne and the well-run Tour Haut-Caussan.

Other temporarily classified Crus Bourgeois Superieurs include Chateau Castera, Loudenne, Greysac, Patache d’Aux, Rolland de By, La Tour de By, Vieux Robin, Bouranc, d’Escurac, Les Ormes Sorbet and Les Grands Chenes. There are other notable wines like Chateau Preuillac, Haut-Condissas, Laulan Ducos, and Goulee which is developed by the team at Chateau Cos d’Estournel, offering some of the best value red wine in Bordeaux.

Comparing Medoc and Haut-Medoc wines, they may have little to distinguish when young, both being vigorous, tannic and dry. But after five years Haut-Medoc will develop the fine-etched personality, clean transparency of flavors and go on developing, while Medoc will begin to soften but remaining a sturdy and rather rustic wine, often deep-colored, satisfying and savory rather than enlightening and inspiring. At 10 years the Medoc will be even more softened but at the expense of structure, not having the refined characters of the wines from the south.

I have tasted the following Medoc wines so far:

Chateau La Cardonne	2005
Chateau Les Ormes Sorbet	2005
Chateau Potensac	2000
Chateau Potensac	2005
Chateau Rollan de By	2000
Goulee	2008