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Margaux
Bordeaux · Left Bank, Haut-Médoc, France
redDeep ruby
The perfumed, silky side of the Left Bank: floral and fine-grained rather than muscular.
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Line up two to four wines the way you'd say them. The guide covers 127 appellations and styles, and spelling doesn't need to be perfect.
Margaux, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol side by side: structure on the WSET scale, grapes, aromas, drinking window, typical UK price and what to eat with each.
The perfumed, silky side of the Left Bank: floral and fine-grained rather than muscular.
Rounder and plummier than the Left Bank, with Cabernet Franc's herbal lift and limestone freshness.
Opulent and velvety: the plushest, most fleshy expression of Merlot in Bordeaux.
The shape of each wine, then each measure on the WSET scale.
These are close in structure; the differences are mostly in grape, aroma and place.
Margaux: Cabernet Sauvignon-led (about 60%), Merlot, a little Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
Saint-Émilion: Merlot-led (about 60–70%) with Cabernet Franc, some Cabernet Sauvignon
Pomerol: Merlot-dominant (often 70–100%), with Cabernet Franc
| Margaux | Saint-Émilion | Pomerol | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grapes | Cabernet Sauvignon-led (about 60%), Merlot, a little Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot | Merlot-led (about 60–70%) with Cabernet Franc, some Cabernet Sauvignon | Merlot-dominant (often 70–100%), with Cabernet Franc |
| Climate | Maritime; the most southerly of the four great Médoc communes | Maritime with more continental influence than the Médoc | Maritime with continental influence |
| Soil | Thin, very free-draining gravel over limestone and clay | Limestone plateau, clay-limestone slopes, sand and gravel below | Clay and gravel; iron-rich blue clay at the heart of the plateau |
| Classification | 1855 Classification: 21 classed growths, more than any other commune | Saint-Émilion Classification, revised roughly every ten years; Premier Grand Cru Classé A at the top | No official classification; tiny family estates |
| Drinking window | 10–30 years | 8–25 years | 8–30 years |
| Typical price | £30–£150 (first growth far more) | £20–£150 (top estates far more) | £40–£300 (Pétrus and Le Pin in the thousands) |
| Food | Rack of lamb, roast beef, mushroom dishes | Duck breast, lamb, roast vegetables | Beef fillet, truffle dishes, roast game birds |
| Producers to know | Château Margaux, Château Palmer, Château Rauzan-Ségla | Château Figeac, Château Pavie, Château Canon | Pétrus, Vieux Château Certan, Château L'Évangile |