Location and municipality
Margaux-Cantenac is a new commune in the Médoc and lies between the Gironde estuary and the vineyards. The municipality was created on 1 January 2017 through the merger of the former communes of Margaux and Cantenac. Its territory covers 2,162 hectares and forms part of the delineated geographical area of the protected designation of origin Margaux in the region Bordeaux.
Climate and terroir
The area has a temperate oceanic climate, influenced by the Atlantic and the Gironde estuary. Both bodies of water moderate the temperatures; autumn low-pressure systems contribute to the differing characteristics of the vintages. The appellation extends on the left bank of the estuary over gravelly terraces with hills at around 6 to 33 metres in height. The soils are mainly the result of Pliocene, Quaternary and Quaternary deposits of the Garonne, and include gravel knolls, colluvium and either clayey or calcareous subsoils.
Vine-growing and wine style
Margaux-Cantenac is predominantly shaped by viticulture. For the appellation, at least 7,000 vines per hectare are required, a row spacing of at most 1.50 metres and at most 1.43 square metres of area per vine. Among other things, Médoc cane and cordon training systems and fan pruning are permitted; at most twelve buds are allowed per vine. The complete chemical use of herbicides in plots and on headlands is prohibited.
Permitted grape varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Côt (Malbec), Merlot, Petit Verdot and Castets. Margaux wines are dry red wines with an intense red colour, ageing potential and fruit-led aromas. Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure, bouquet and ripening potential, Merlot provides roundness and richness, Cabernet Franc elegance and spicy aromas, and Petit Verdot colour, fruit and tannins.
History and legal framework
The production area of Margaux has had a parcel-based delimitation for around three centuries, based on soil, topography, climate and historical criteria. The 1855 Bordeaux classification recognised 21 Grands Crus Classés in the Margaux area; the Cru Bourgeois classification of 1932 subsequently listed 16 estates in the Margaux appellation.
Margaux is a French protected designation of origin and an appellation d'origine contrôlée. The legally defined production area includes, in addition to Margaux-Cantenac, Arsac, Labarde and Soussans. The natural minimum alcoholic strength is 11% by volume; after chaptalisation, at most 13.5% by volume are permitted; the maximum yield is 63 hectolitres per hectare.
