White Medoc makes headway, with Chardonnay and Viognier instead of Chenin and Manseng

he AOC Médoc production specifications are like something from back to the future. Although the Médoc is synonymous with red wine, the appellation wants to add whites to its production specifications in a bid to acknowledge current developments –89 winegrowers are producing white wines over 208 hectares in the area in 2024 – and resurrect part of the region’s past.

Since the project was presented a year ago at the appellation’s AGM, the proposed varietal range has changed: the traditional Bordeaux cultivars Sauvignon blanc, Sauvignon gris, Sémillon and Muscadelle which will form at least 85% of the blend will be complemented by secondary variety Chardonnay (no more than 15% of volumes) and six varieties chosen for their ability to cope with climate change (VIFA). These are Alvarinho, Liliorila and Viognier and the resistant grapes Floréal, Sauvignac and Souvignier gris. Plans to include Chenin blanc and Gros Manseng as secondary grape varieties have now been scrapped as they are considered to be emblematic of other appellation wine regions, namely the Loire Valley and South-West France. The producers’ organisation has chosen instead to focus on Chardonnay, which is already grown in the area, accounting for 5% of vineyard acreage, compared with two-thirds for Sauvignon. The organisation has also decided to downgrade Viognier, widely grown in the northern Rhone Valley, to VIFA status.

The chairman of AOC Médoc, Claude Gaudin, regrets that freedom of choice in the varietal range should be limited and stresses that “we hear a lot of uncertainties about varietal adaptations based on tomorrow’s climate. It is difficult to have any certainties and to stop moving forward”. Although he feels it is a shame that some suggestions had to be dropped, he also believes “we need to expedite the process so that it gets off the ground” and not “dig in our heels and prevent progress”. This ethos will probably come in handy when future discussions with negociant representatives start.