Collection: Appellation Margaux Contrôlée

What does Margaux mean on a wine bottle label?

Margaux was a municipality until 2017 and is now a district that has merged with Cantenac to form Margaux-Cantenac. With around 2,800 inhabitants, Margaux-Cantenac is located near Bordeaux in the south-west of France.

The famous Château Margaux winery was named after the town of Margaux. Margaux is also an appellation on the Médoc peninsula. You can then find this appellation on the wine label.

By the way: The Margaux appellation includes the municipalities of Margaux-Cantenac, Soussans, Labarde and Arsac.

Read also: What is an appellation?

The Bordeaux wine-growing region is divided into the left bank and right bank of the Gironde. Gironde is a river that flows into the Atlantic, but also a department in the same area. Bordeaux is also a city and the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

Let's look again at the Gironde river at its mouth in the Atlantic. There the river divides an area that is world famous for wine growing in Bordeaux. Margaux is located on the left bank of the Gironde - the Médoc.

Wine is grown in the designated municipalities of the Margaux appellation. Consequently, the wineries that have their vineyards in this area belong to the Margaux appellation. The designation "Appellation Margaux Contrôlée" is then listed on the label of a wine bottle.

AOC Margaux: This is an alternative spelling. AOC stands for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée and means controlled designation of origin.

Following the Bordeaux classification of Médoc wineries in 1855, wineries from the Margaux Contrôlée appellation also belong to this classification.

These well-known Bordeaux wineries are part of the Margaux Contrôlée appellation:

1er Grand Cru Classé

• Château Margaux

2ème Grand Cru Classé

• Château Brane-Cantenac
• Château Durfort-Vivens
• Château Lascombes
• Château Rauzan-Ségla
• Château Rauzan-Gassies

3ème Grand Cru Classé

• Château Boyd-Cantenac
• Château Cantenac-Brown
• Château Desmirail
• Château Ferrière
• Château Giscours
• Château d'Issan
• Château Kirwan
• Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry
• Château Marquis d'Alesme-Becker
• Château Palmer

4ème Grand Cru Classé

• Château Marquis de Terme
• Château Pouget
• Château Prieuré-Lichine

5ème Grand Cru Classé

• Château Dauzac
• Château du Tertre

Now collect wine from Margaux!