If you leave the capital of Bordeaux wine and head north on the famous “Route des Grand Crus”, after a short drive through the Haut-Médoc you will reach the first of the world-famous and legendary communities - Margaux. 1,300 hectares are under vines here, planted primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. 21 of the 61 chateaus classified in 1855 on the occasion of the World Exhibition in Paris are located here, especially the legendary Chateau Margaux, which even had a very prominent fan - the writer Ernest Hemingway. The love for this chateau was so great that his eldest granddaughter, actually christened Margot Louise, was named Margaux Hemingway. But other chateaus also stand out, such as Chateau Palmer, which on paper is classified as a Troisième Cru Classé, but which experts and critics believe has long since reached the level of a Premier Cru because of the outstanding qualities produced here. Chateau d'Issan, Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Chateau Malescot Saint Exupéry and Chateau Lascombes are also names of great appeal. In fact, Margaux is the only municipality that can consistently boast classified chateaus from 1st to 5th growth. Numerous Cru Bourgeois, the next quality level below the Grand Crus, are also at home here. The climate here on the left bank is of course strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, the soil consists of a subsoil of limestone and fine gravel and a layer of coarser gravel, a legacy that the Gironde brought with them from the Pyrenees. This gravel soil provides excellent water drainage in the event of rainfall, which can occur repeatedly in this humid Atlantic climate. The wines consist primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon, whose sometimes somewhat austere nature is softened by the addition of Merlot or Petit Verdot, giving them a supple character. Chateau Brane-Cantenac can even rely on one of the few remaining plantations of Carmenère in Bordeaux, the grape variety that has gained fame and honor in Chile over the last 25 years. Despite these rather supple and flattering characteristics, the best wines have enormous ripening and aging potential.
