It was a short trip, a day long and incorporating just two wineries, but visiting the four, small prestigious villages of Bordeaux’s Haut-Médoc confirmed what I’d read in textbooks, studied on courses, and tasted in bottles. However, this is a region that always confounds. History and tradition are complicated, with many ups-and-downs in the quality of the wines and changes in the owners of famous châteaux. The understanding of terroir is present and important but not as central to its identity as Burgundy. Despite Bordeaux’s staid reputation, it’s a region that’s always changing, the latest challenge being climate change. The names of the châteaux—the number of wineries with Léoville or Bages in their name is beyond confusing—shows a region steeped in tradition but constantly evolving.

the river and estuary

The four famous villages of Haut-Médoc—St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, and Margaux from north to south—lie by the river Garonne and Gironde estuary, in comparison to the two lesser (though good quality) villages of Listrac and Moulis which are further inland. The wines of the latter two appellations are a little thinner without the tannic structure to age for decades. So what does being near the water do?

At Pichon-Baron in Pauillac, the best vineyard (“Le Plateau de Pithon”), 40ha in size, is 1km from the water. Their two second wines (if that makes sense) come from further away. Being near the water helps prevent frost from settling, as cold and warm air on the small hill hit each other to stop the cold air falling as frost around the base of the vines.

In Margaux, there are six terraces (the only village to have that many) gently rising from the water, even though total elevation only comes to 33m. These terraces have been created by the water pushing gravel up the hill, depositing gravel—ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon—to create a terraced effect. Each contour has a different level of ripening, and accounts for the terroir of Margaux (and the other villages). Without proximity to water, the wines of these villages would be rather like those of the rest of Médoc: overprone to frost, and producing uniform, not especially complex or expressive wines. The differences between these terraces are subtle and not obvious to the naked eye, but they alter the water effect, aspect, and soil composition.

soils

Although it’s long been understood that gravel soils are best for Cabernet Sauvignon and clay-limestone for Merlot, some producers had been quite lax about which varieties they planted where, which led to a decline in quality at many properties. For example, the two Crus Classés of Pichon-Baron in Pauillac and Marquis d’Alesme Becker in Margaux had fallen into disrepair before being bought, respectively, by AXA Insurance in 1987 and by industrialist Hubert Perrodo in 2006. The quality of the wines has been revived because of much greater attention to the vineyard.

Varieties are planted to the most appropriate soils, which indicates that Haut-Médoc has much more varied soils than simply being all gravel. The significance of the river Garonne and the Gironde estuary is in the deposits of gravel soils on the terraces, which is why Cabernet Sauvignon is so favourable near the water. Further inland, even a couple of kilometres, the gravel soils fade into flat, compact iron and sand which is why the two second wines of Pichon-Baron are much more Merlot dominant. At Marquis d’Alesme, which lies directly behind Château Margaux, all three plots surrounding the winery are majority Merlot because of the soils, with Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from more gravel-based soils from other sites they own in the relatively large, diverse 1,550ha Margaux appellation.

Left Bank Bordeaux is always a blend, though Pichon-Baron have found themselves happy with their top wine having well over 80% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, an unusually high proportion (85% in 2016, 87% in 2019, 88% in 2021). Blending has been traditionally seen as a back-up in tough vintages, when the earlier-ripening Merlot acts as a safeguard to Cabernet Sauvignon. But better vineyard management, planting varieties on appropriate soils, and earlier ripening due to climate change may mean that the top wines of the Left Bank become increasingly Cabernet heavy—with the danger they end up tasting too much like Napa.

climate change

Within a week of being in Bordeaux in the middle of June, I had experienced four monumental thunderstorms—probably twice as many as I’ve witnessed in nine years living in California.

Bordeaux has a maritime climate, so rain is expected all year round. But the weather still seems strange. 2022 was hot and dry, with some rain towards the end of the harvest, so any rain right now is welcome. In the midst of the storms, the temperatures have remained very warm, with the growing season continuing as the soils soak up the water.

The main issue, though, is not extreme rain at a strange period but excessive heat. I recently spoke to the vineyard manager at Dominus in Napa, for whom the grave issue facing the region wasn’t drought but heat. However, he argued that Cabernet Sauvignon would remain the grape of choice because it is drought tolerant, but that canopy management would have to be adapted to protect the grapes from sunlight. The same conclusions seem to have been drawn in Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon is set to stay, perhaps even to increase. Heat and drought can contain Cabernet Sauvignon’s naturally high vigour, while canopy management protects the berries.

Cover crops are much more widely used than twenty years ago, when Bordeaux, like other French regions, was still recovering from an addiction to chemical-based farming. Encouraging cover crops keeps moisture for the vines to access in dry, warm conditions, and also encourages a vibrant ecosystem which sustains the vineyard and the local environment for future generations. Marquis d’Alesme are planting hedges to encourage birds, bats, and insects. In Pauillac, Pichon-Baron have grass, cereals, beans, and radishes planted to prevent erosion and lower the pH of the soils. Marquis d’Alesme also stress the importance of producers working together to create a balanced growing environment across their Margaux appellation.

A few years ago, extra grape varieties were added under the Bordeaux appellation rules, including Albariño and Touriga Nacional, to plan for future warmer temperatures. Marquis d’Alesme are the first producer I’ve seen who have planted Albariño, though they have also gone beyond the appellation rules and planted Chardonnay and Petit Manseng. These plantings were purely experimental, but the blend has proved popular in the tasting room and they plan an official release next year as a Vin de France. Bordeaux producers are more experimental than their reputation suggests, both commercially and in the light of climate change.

taste

I confess I taste these wines little: they’re so expensive and Cabernet Sauvignon is not my favourite variety. But tasting the wines in situ clarifies their nature and character. They are powerful, precise, and long-lived, reflecting the site and the year they come from. I tasted 2017, 2016, and 2010 Pichon-Baron side by side. The 2017 was approachable, complex without being especially ageworthy. The 2016, one of the best vintages in recent years, was more voluptuous, round and mouth filling, with the oak well-integrated with the gripping tannins; a wine that’s still youthful, with the ability to age and develop over the next twenty years. Comparing it to 2010, another great vintage, confirmed this: still very fresh and structured, with gradually developing tertiary aromas and the overall quality to age for another fifteen years at least. These wines are now so well made that they are enjoyable when young, but still have years of ageing potential.

Bordeaux may seem a traditional, historic, conservative region but it is one that is always changing. Tasting the wines, in particular the best of Haut-Médoc, is proof of that.