Saint-Julien

Saint-Julien lies in the Haut-Médoc on the left bank of the Gironde, between Pauillac to the north and Margaux to the south. At just over nine hundred hectares it is the smallest of the great Médoc communes and essentially comprises Saint-Julien-Beychevelle with the hamlet of Beychevelle. The vineyards sit on gravel mounds (croupes) sloping towards the Gironde and are barely interrupted by settlements.

The soil consists of deep, fairly uniform Garonne gravel over sand and clay, which drains well and stores heat. The climate is oceanic and tempered by the Gironde; the pine forest of the Landes shields the area from Atlantic storms. Autumn rain remains the biggest vintage risk.

Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, supplemented by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wines combine structure and fruit with cedar and blackcurrant notes and are regarded as well balanced. Saint-Julien has no First Growth but eleven classified estates, including Léoville Las Cases, Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Gruaud Larose, Beychevelle and Talbot.