Saint Julien Wine Region Guide

Winemaking and regional classifications

Over the past forty years, a surge of investment has transformed Saint-Julien, equipping chateaux with the latest winemaking equipment, tasting laboratories, and ornate barrel cellars known as chai. Yet despite this rapid pace of technological advancement, the essentials of Saint-Julien winemaking remain unaltered. Indeed, the ‘recipe’ of blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc was laid down in the early 20th century. This paradigm is still widely followed today, albeit climate change is impacting alcohol levels (especially in the Merlot) and raising questions about the future of the classic assemblage.

Climate Change

“We have thought for a long time how to combat global warming via new methods of canopy management; we decided in 2022 to deleaf only one side of the vine row. In addition, on some plots to preserve water resources, we decided to destroy the vegetal covering we usually have all year long,” said Matthieu Bordes, directeur général at Chateau Lagrange. “We are extremely confident about the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon being made in the appellation today. But I’ve been worried about our Merlot for over 15 years, which is why I’ve been systematically replacing it with Cabernet.” A small volume of Bordeaux Blanc is also made at Chateau Talbot and Lagrange, typically blends of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle.

Adapting to Combat Global Warming

Yet mono-varietal styles are noticeable by their absence in Saint-Julien, despite concerns that overripe Merlot can sully the wine. Many estates are committed to the art of blending, using Cabernet Franc and occasionally Petit Verdot to add aromatics, structure, and finesse to their reds.

Winemaking Approach

Chateau Langoa Barton typifies the Saint-Julien approach to winemaking, which tends to eschew heavy extraction and lavish seasoning in barrique. Here, the grapes are crushed before the must is vinified in temperature-controlled wooden vats. It is then aged in approximately 50% new oak for no less than 18 months. The results in bottle are memorable: bright, elegant reds that showcase aromas of cedar, forest floor, tobacco, and truffle—everything you’d expect from a first-class Bordeaux estate.

Geography and terroir

Saint-Julien is one of the smallest appellations in Bordeaux, sandwiched between Margaux (to the south) and Pauillac to the north. Almost every acre of land is planted to vines, yielding red wines of impeccable finesse – and drinkability – that recall Pauillac’s muscularity and Margaux’s fine perfume. And, like its neighbor Pauillac, Saint-Julien’s terroir is highly regarded. The soil is essentially deep gravel on two extensive plateaux, a potent blend of varying proportions of quartz pebbles, sand, flint, and clay. The terroir also benefits from excellent drainage – which is invaluable in wet vintages. Yet the true secret of St-Julien’s ability to cope with inclement weather is the jalles (small streams), which function as drainage channels.

Weather Conditions

Although the Atlantic heavily influences the region’s climate, proximity to the Gironde helps to offset the risk of frost in cold springs; Saint-Julien’s vineyards often escape the hailstorms that can inflict such devastating damage in the Medoc. This is also a relatively precocious region, and the grapes usually ripen earlier than they do in Cussac to the south or in Moulis to the west. The classic Saint-

Signature Wine Characteristics

Julien trademark is ripe (seldom jammy) fruit, firm tannins, and great freshness. It is very rare to encounter a poor and/or unbalanced wine made by the Cru Classe estates, although the rain-soaked 2013 vintage really tested the limits of terroir and winemaking in the zone. However, like all Bordeaux regions, stylistic variations flow from differences in soil, microclimate, and oenology.

Variety Among Cru Classe Estates

The grand chateaux divide into two groups: the riverside estates epitomized by the Leoville estates around the village of St-Julien itself, and the southern group centered on the village of Beychevelle, led by noble properties Chateau Beychevelle, Branaire-Ducru, and Ducru-Beaucaillou, and reaching back inland with Chateaux Gruaud Larose and Lagrange.

The lowdown

What exactly is it about Saint-Julien that consumers find so irresistible? Perhaps it is because a typical wine offers connoisseurs a delectable hybrid – the best features of Margaux and Pauillac rolled into one. It may not (generally) have Chateau Margaux’s finesse, nor does it demonstrate the power and muscularity of Latour. It borrows from both: forthright in its fruit expression, St-Julien is a harmonious marriage between ripeness and tannin, opulence and finesse. The same cannot be said for the poorer wines of the Haut-Medoc and Blaye/Bourg. And yet, the merchants of Bordeaux did not see fit to award any chateau First Growth status back in 1855. But was this a fair decision or a gross oversight? There is no easy answer to that question, although many critics regard one property as a leading candidate for reclassification. That estate is called Leoville-Las-Cases.

Leoville-Las-Cases

The Delons family has been running the winery since 1900. The Marquis de Las-Cases, its previous owner, faced financial difficulties and was compelled to sell to a consortium that included the Delons. The family increased their shares over the years until they became the majority owner in Las Cases. Today, this large property is divided into 125 distinct climats (vineyard sites), producing wines that can rival the grandeur of Latour and the luxury of Mouton Rothschild. Indeed, Leoville-Las-Cases is undoubtedly the richest and most impressive of the Saint-Julien wines.

Praise for the Recent 2022 Vintage

Leading critic Neal Martin is just one professional to wax lyrical about the recent 2022 vintage. He said: “Precocious, almost decadent blackberry and blueberry fruit on the nose, there is something lavish and audacious about this Saint-Julien. There is an underlying estuarine element, a whiff off the banks of the Gironde. The palate is medium-bodied with polished tannins, very detailed, extremely pure, and what you might call a “vertical” Las-Cases with fabulous precision on the finish. This surpasses the 2018-2020 trio, and to use that clichéd expression, is a ‘tour de force’.

First-Growth Quality

It seems evident that Martin, and his contemporaries, regard Leoville-Las-Cases as First-Growth quality. When benchmarked against Lafite and Latour, this venerable claret can hold its own; its record-setting prices (by Saint-Julien standards) certainly raises the highest expectations of collectors and buyers alike. Granted, it’s challenging to remain objective with the hype machine running at full speed, endorsed by many influential critics and journalists. Yet most tastings of Leoville-Las-Cases occur under blind conditions (the label is not seen), where its superlative quality shines through. If Leoville-Las-Cases were to follow in the footsteps of Mouton Rothschild and ascend to the greatest heights of the 1855 hierarchy, a historic fallacy would be overturned.

Saint-Julien gastronomy

Let’s face facts: Saint-Julien is no Paris regarding gastronomy and culinary titillation. Fortunately, the excellent restaurants of nearby Pauillac or Bordeaux’s downtown are not far away. In Aquitaine’s elegant capital, you’ll have a multitude of choices as numerous bistros, brasseries, and restaurants serve local delicacies in a lively atmosphere. Atlantic seafood – including some of Europe’s best oysters – and  Entrecote à la Bordelaise should whet your appetite.

Bordeaux Gastronomy Guide: Read more