Haut-Médoc ( French: [o medɔk] ) is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of southwestern France , on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary . Covering a large part of the viticultural strip of land along the Médoc peninsula, the zone covers approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) of its length.
16-584: As defined by the original Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) decree of November 14, 1936, its southern edge borders the city of Bordeaux and the Médoc AOC to the north, encompassing fifteen communes exclusive to the appellation, while at the same time it enclaves six appellations made up of nine communes ( Saint-Estèphe AOC , Pauillac AOC , Saint-Julien AOC , Listrac-Médoc AOC , Moulis-en-Médoc AOC and Margaux AOC ) that are technically wine-making communes of Haut-Médoc. Similarly, Haut-Médoc
32-630: A law of July 2 to extend the powers of the INAO to cover all agricultural produce. Since January 1, 2007, the Institute is renamed Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité and also guarantees organic and Label Rouge certifications. In spite of the name change it retains the abbreviation INAO . Cru Bourgeois Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
48-490: A small degree Malbec (locally called "Cot"). Also permitted under the regulations of the AOC are the varieties Cabernet Franc and Carménère . The INAO specifications demand the following production norms: a high planting density, a minimum of 6,500 plants per hectare, and minimum of sugar, 178 g (6.3 oz) per litre of must , maximum base yield of 48 hectolitres per hectare, and a minimum alcohol by volume of 10%. Of
64-465: Is a sub-appellation of the Médoc AOC. Of Haut-Médoc's fifteen wine-producing communes, eight are located along the waterfront of Garonne and Gironde: Blanquefort , Parempuyre , Ludon , Macau , Arcins , Lamarque , Cussac and Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne . Seven communes lie inland: Le Taillan , Le Pian-Médoc , Avensan , Saint-Laurent-Médoc . Saint-Sauveur , Cissac and Vertheuil . Few of
80-656: Is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with protected designation of origin (PDOs). It is controlled by the Government of France , and it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture . The organization was co-founded by Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer Baron Pierre Le Roy . Every appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), the French term for PDOs, is produced according to rules codified by
96-567: The 17th century, Dutch merchants began an ambitious drainage project to convert the marshland into a usable vineyard area. Their objective was to provide the British market a wine alternative to the Graves and Portuguese wines that were dominating the market. Using technology that was advanced for that time, the Dutch were able to convert enough marshland to allow large estates to form all along
112-455: The 392 viticultural properties of Haut-Médoc, 150 participate in winemaking cooperatives, the other 242 being independent wineries. Chateau Aney a. Cru Bourgeois as a term of classification since 1932, was annulled in 2007, and reintroduced in 2009. Institut National des Appellations d%27Origine The Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (previously Institut National des Appellations d'Origine) ( INAO )
128-623: The Gironde. Soon the Bordeaux wine regions of Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe took shape. By the 19th century, the wine region of the Haut-Médoc was one of the most prosperous in France, with wines that had an international reputation that would be unparalleled till the late 20th century. The area covers approximately 4,600 hectares of declared vineyards, constituting 28.5% of
144-467: The INAO was created by a decree initiated by Joseph Capus and enacted on July 30, 1935. Under this law the Comité National des appellations d'origine (CNAO) was given the sole authority to rule on matters related to the quality of wine. The members of the committee included delegates of ministries of agriculture, finance and justice and presidents of viticulture syndicates. They consulted with
160-452: The INAO. Because its primary purpose is to regulate the use of noteworthy names, one of its primary tasks is to delimit the geographic area entitled to produce a product. For wine this means vineyards , but the INAO also regulates the places of processing and aging. The INAO, like many organizations charged with regulating and helping producers, is often put in a contradictory position. An individual farmer may want his farm to be included in
176-523: The Médoc total, annually producing on average 255,000 hectolitres of wine. The variation in types of soil is greater than other appellations in the region, ranging from less than ideal terrain, to conditions on a par with some of the enclaved appellations of more celebrated reputation. Of the permitted grape varieties of Haut-Médoc, 52% of the viticultural area is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon , with additional cultivation of Merlot , Petit Verdot and to
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#1732791445498192-590: The estates falling within the generic Haut-Médoc appellation were included in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 (as all but six of the 61 are located within the AOCs Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe), but several were included in the classification Cru Bourgeois . For most of its history, the Haut-Médoc was a vast region of salt marshes used for animal grazing rather than viticulture . In
208-469: The first years after the CNAO was formed. The first AOC laws were passed in 1936, and most of the classical wines from Bordeaux , Burgundy , Champagne and Rhône had their initial set of AOC regulations before the end of 1937. After World War II the committee became the public-private Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO). In 1990, the economic success of the appellations led parliament in
224-443: The limited area, but that might have the effect of diluting the average quality of the area. Rarely is this without controversy, and it is a delicate balancing act. Government control of agricultural products began with the law of August 1, 1905, granting the government authority to define the official boundaries for the production of certain agricultural products. At first, the appellations were not designed as measures of quality of
240-417: The produce and failed to resolve the problem of over-production of wine , a problem that continues to this day. A second law, passed on May 6, 1919, gave the courts power to act in cases where the regulations were not being followed. This once again was an initial failure, as the resulting prosecutions proved to be long and fraught with difficulty. In a further attempt to address problems in the wine industry,
256-399: The top wine producers in each region to define the boundaries of appellations and the rules for a wine to qualify. The CNAO was funded by a fee paid by the producers. Many small wine producers were eager to escape the state regulations imposed on bulk winemakers, and sought to join. However the CNAO enforced high standards and the percentage of French wine designated as AOC actually declined in
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