A 75 km long and 5 to 15 km wide estuary in south-west France that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The department of Gironde, which is largely on the left bank, is named after the Gironde; opposite it on the right bank is the department of Charente-Maritime. It is formed by the two rivers Dordogne and Garonne. With a surface area of 685 km², the Gironde is the largest estuary in Europe. The Gironde begins at the tapered Bec d'Ambes peninsula formed by the two rivers around 15 kilometres north of the city of Bordeaux.
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The picture shows the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers at the tapered Bec d'Ambès (Beak of Ambès). Along the left bank stretches the Médoc region, which is ideally suited to viticulture thanks to the permeability of the gravel and pebble soil. The best crus are those that "see the water" (bordering the Gironde), as the sunlight is reflected by the large water surface. The retention of heat results in very good conditions for optimum grape ripening. The six famous communal appellations of the Haut-Médoc are located here: Margaux, Moulis, Listrac-Médoc, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Julien.
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