Producer notes: The Listrac AOC, now renamed Listrac-Médoc, was recognized as a municipal controlled designation of origin for Médoc in 1957. The planted area occupies a little more than 600 hectares in this region northwest of Bordeaux, on the gravelly hilltops. of rolling hills towards the Gironde, protected from the ocean by an immense forest of maritime pines. The 65 winegrowers claiming this AOC favor Cabernet Sauvignon but there are also some plots of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Malbec, Carmenère and Petit Verdot sometimes complete the blends, but remain in the minority. Like the other Médoc wines, the Listrac-Médoc are powerful and full-bodied with a complex aromatic palette favoring small black fruits. Most are toned down with a little Merlot which makes them more pleasant when young but does not tarnish their great aging potential. The dark purple color of youth gives way to a beautiful sustained garnet after a few years of aging.