Travelling north from the ancient wine regions of Graves and Sauternes we come to the Médoc, and first of all to the wines known as Margaux. There are a number of villages here, some of which will be vicariously familiar - Cantenac, for example, as in Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac-Brown and Boyd-Cantenac - but it is Margaux that has come to dominate, giving its name not only to the appellation as a whole, but also the region’s only Premier Grand Cru Classé estate, Chateau Margaux.

The Wine Doctor

Sauternes and Barsac are the two most ancient regions of the left bank, predating the vineyards of the Médoc by many centuries. The Garonne no doubt contributes to some extent as it sweeps past the vineyards, but it is its tiny tributary the Ciron that perhaps makes the more significant contribution to Sauternes.