St Julien Bordeaux

Tucked into the Médoc sub-region of Bordeaux along the left bank of the Gironde estuary, the Saint Julien AOC is an esteemed wine-growing appellation. It’s named for a village of the same name (Saint-Julien-Beychevelle) and most famous for the number of second-growth wine estates named in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 that are based there. Among these are Château Ducru-Beaucaillou and Château Léoville-Las Cases. Their wines consistently retail for between $140 and $400, with higher prices being fetched at auction.

Red wine is produced in the Saint Julien appellation from the following wine grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carménère. One distinguishing characteristic about wines coming out of St. Julien traces back to the soil type, marked by a bed of rock on the surface and complex layers beneath.

Quick Facts

• There are no First Growth wineries in Saint Julien
• A case of 1990 Château Léoville-Las Cases listed for $1,800-$2,800 per lot at auction in 2009, and a double magnum of 1961 Château Gruaud-Larose demanded $2,000-$3,000 at that same auction
• Saint Julien is the smallest of Médoc’s four appellations - there are only 11 classified wine estates within the appellation