The Saint-Estèphe appellation

Key figures

At the northern tip of the Médoc peninsula, the Saint Estèphe appellation is the most northerly of the Bordeaux vineyard appellations. The first vines date back to the Roman occupation and the attachment to the vineyard has always been very strong. The appellation gained notoriety when the merchants of Bordeaux began to distribute the wines in the 19th century. It was classified as an A.O.C. (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) in 1936 and comprises 1,214 hectares of vines, i.e. 7% of the Médoc vineyard. 8.7 million bottles are produced each year and the appellation has 136 winegrowers, 56 of whom are independent (Source: the Saint Estèphe appellation).

A rich and precious terroir

More than anywhere else in the Médoc, the quality of Saint Estèphe wines is the result of the alliance between a generous land and the mastery of men.  Indeed, the subsoil of Saint Estèphe is very varied, which gives the wines a real personality and multiple nuances. Mostly clay and limestone, the soil of Saint Estèphe produces a wine of character with a dark red colour and powerful tannins. It will then become rounder, smoother and more refined with age, showing an excellent capacity for ageing. The blend is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon for most estates, although some Châteaux choose to add Merlot as a second grape variety, to bring roundness and fruit. Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot also complete the blend, but in smaller proportions.

A nice list of Crus Classés

The Saint-Estephe appellation presents a very good balance between the different universes of Crus Classés. It includes 5 renowned Crus Classés: Château Cos d'Estournel, Château Montrose, Château Calon-Ségur, Château Lafon-Rochet and Château Cos-Labory. It also has 22 Crus Bourgeois.