Graves Tasting, 2004
Graves lies south of the city of Bordeaux, and so south of the Médoc. The Graves vineyards lie along the left bank of the Garonne, as it flows to its rendezvous with the Dordogne, at which point it becomes the Gironde. This is one of the longest established vignobles of Bordeaux; there was viticulture here as far back as the Middle Ages, centuries before many of the leading properties of the Médoc were established. The region’s leading château, Château Haut-Brion, dates back to the mid-16th century.
There is gravel in Graves – hence the name – but the soils also include patches of clay, sand and chalk, often containing many embedded sea shells; a testament to the proximity of the Garonne, the course of which has varied over the millennia. The depth of gravel varies, and is as deep as three metres in places, forming well defined outcrops. This well drained and impoverished soil is credited with much of the character and quality of the wines of this region.
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