Oeno — Master your wines

Personal workspaceMédoc

Wine-area colours

Loading map…

Peninsula: North of Bordeaux, between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Gironde estuary to the east. The oceanic climate is moderated locally by these bodies of water.
Gravel & drainage: Gravel rises are important for drainage and ripening conditions. Clay, sand and limestone also occur, so the Médoc is not a single uniform gravel terroir.
Cabernet Sauvignon: A major reference on gravelly sites; its later ripening and tannin often shape structured Médoc reds.
Merlot: An essential partner, especially on clay-rich sites; it can dominate individual blends. The peninsula does not have one compulsory Cabernet-led recipe.

Estuary-side sequence: North to south: Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Margaux. These are four separate communal AOCs, not successive quality levels.
Inland communes: Listrac-Médoc and Moulis lie farther inland. Together with the four estuary-side names, they form the six communal AOC references.
Broader appellations: Médoc and Haut-Médoc are AOCs as well as familiar geographical terms. Their boundaries and wine rules must be kept separate from the whole peninsula.
Current colour distinction: Médoc AOC includes dry white under its 2025 specification. This does not extend white-wine permission automatically to Haut-Médoc or the six communal AOCs.

One appellation, another colour: The specification adopted on 31 July 2025 adds dry white wine within Médoc AOC; it does not create a ninth separate Médoc appellation.
Traditional blend: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle together account for at least 90% of the marketed blend. No separate minimum is imposed for each of those four.
Adaptation varieties: Alvarinho is an approved adaptation variety, alongside Floréal, Liliorila, Sauvignac and Souvignier Gris. Together they are capped at 10% of the blend and 5% of white-grape plantings, under the required agreement.
Ageing & wood: White wines age at the vinifier until at least 31 March after harvest. At least 30% of the lot must spend at least three months in wooden vessels; qualifying vinification time may count.

Structure: Five ranks, from top to bottom: Premier Cru (First Growth), Deuxième Cru (Second), Troisième Cru (Third), Quatrième Cru (Fourth) and Cinquième Cru (Fifth).
Origins: Drawn up for the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1855, the list classifies estates rather than all wines from a commune. Study the hierarchy, First Growths and geographical exception before a long château list.
Pauillac first growths: Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour and Château Mouton Rothschild.
Margaux first growth: Château Margaux, in Margaux AOC.
The Graves exception: Château Haut-Brion is the only red classified estate outside the Médoc. It is in Pessac, within today’s Pessac-Léognan AOC in Graves.
1973 promotion: Mouton Rothschild moved from Second to First Growth in 1973. The ranking is essentially fixed, but Cantemerle had also been added after the original 1855 list.

Three levels: Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. This separate classification concerns Médoc estates outside the 1855 list; it is not another AOC tier.
Five-year coverage: The 2025 edition applies to vintages 2023–2027. Its 170 estates comprise 120 Cru Bourgeois, 36 Supérieur and 14 Exceptionnel.
Blind vertical tasting: For this edition, candidates were assessed on vintages 2017–2021. The years tasted are different from the vintages entitled to the new classification.
Environmental criteria: The base level required level-2 environmental certification or a recognised equivalent. Supérieur and Exceptionnel also required HVE level 3 and additional estate assessments.
At the table: Pair with roast lamb and rosemary or steak with a savoury jus; the meat and sauce support a structured red.

Assess: Check the colour and actual blend: red wines vary from rounded Merlot-led examples to firmer Cabernet-led styles. For a dry white, assess freshness, texture and wood influence separately.
Pair: A structured red can suit an entrecôte grilled over vine prunings or roast lamb with thyme. A broad, barrel-influenced white can accompany scallops or sweetbreads with cream.
Service: Start reds around 16–18°C and fuller dry whites around 10–12°C. Consider air for a closed, firm red after tasting; handle a fragile mature bottle gently and remove sediment close to service if necessary.