The estates located in the aforementioned villages produce some of the most expensive bottles of wine in the world. The region also provided all but one (Haut-Brion) of the châteaux included in the official 1855 Classification of Bordeaux wines.
There are around 16,000 hectares (39,500 acres) of vineyards within the wider Médoc region, including the various smaller appellations. Around 5500 hectares (13,600 acres) of vines are classified for production of Médoc AOC/AOP wines.