Saint-Julien French wine appellation guide: location, history, wines, climate & soil
Saint-Julien is one of the four great communal appellations of Bordeaux's Médoc, renowned for consistently elegant, balanced and long-lived Cabernet-based reds, with a remarkable eleven classified growths.
More info about Saint-Julien
Geographic position
Southwest France, in the Gironde department on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary, about 45 km north of Bordeaux, between Margaux to the south and Pauillac to the north.
Origin & history
Large estates were established here in the 17th and 18th centuries by Bordeaux's aristocracy. The 1855 Classification ranked eleven Saint-Julien châteaux, including Léoville Las Cases, Ducru-Beaucaillou and Gruaud-Larose. The AOC was created in 1936.
Wines & grape varieties
Red only, blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a little Petit Verdot and Malbec. Expect blackcurrant, cedar, cigar box and graphite with refined tannins that age for decades.
Climate & soil
Temperate oceanic climate moderated by the estuary, which protects vines from frost. Deep Günzian gravel ridges over clay and limestone drain well and reflect heat, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wine region: Bordeaux
Grape varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot