Saint-Estèphe: the 2016 vintage

Location and terroir

AOC Saint Estèphe is part of the Médoc vineyards, on the left bank of Bordeaux, west of the Gironde. This 1,200-hectare appellation, which is separated from the Pauillac appellation by a mere stream, produces only red wines from the grape varieties traditionally used in Bordeaux: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

The soil on Bordeaux’s left bank is warmer than on the right: it’s made up of gravel, which stores heat during the day and redistributes it to the vines at night. However, in Saint Estèphe, the soil is slightly more clayey, due to its northern location in the Médoc. The clay cools the soil slightly, retaining water and slowing down ripening, giving the Merlot more power and the Cabernet Sauvignon more finesse.

History

It seems that the region has been producing wine since Roman times. However, it was in the Middle Ages, thanks in particular to English merchants, that the vineyards really took off.

As Saint-Estèphe is part of the Médoc, the appellation is represented in the 1855 classification. As a reminder, in 1855, on the occasion of the Paris Universal Exhibition, Napoleon III asked the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce to establish a classification of Bordeaux wines. Only Médoc wines are included, with one exception: Château Haut Brion, located in the Graves vineyards of Pessac Léognan.

The Saint Estèphe appellation boasts five crus classés, the best known of which are Calon-Ségur,^3rd Cru Classé, Cos d’Estournel and Château Montrose, both^2nd Cru Classé.

The appellation also includes a number of crus bourgeois. This distinction differs from that of the 1855 classification in that Cru Bourgeois status is revised each year for each new vintage, whereas the 1855 classification was attributed immutably to a small number of Châteaux.