Saint-Julien

The Bordeaux wine council records traces of a "Saint Julien de Rintrac" from the eighth century, though it is uncertain whether he gave his name to the place. The seventeenth century was the turning point: aristocrats and merchants from the Médoc and Bordeaux bought large plots here, and large estates still cover about four-fifths of the vineyard around the villages of Saint-Julien and Beychevelle. In 1855 eleven of its estates were classified. INAO dates the appellation to the decree of 14 November 1936.

A local legend links the name Beychevelle to ships lowering their sails when passing the house of Jean-Louis Nogaret de La Valette, Baron de Beychevelle under Henri III. The council notes that the manoeuvre more likely helped ships enter port against headwinds.

Saint-Julien lies on the edge of the Gironde estuary, between Pauillac and Margaux, in the commune of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle. According to the Bordeaux wine council, its vines grow on a block of gravel rises about 5 km long and 3.5 km wide, laid down by the Garonne in the early Quaternary and split by small valleys that drain the land. INAO describes soils of gravel, marl and pebbles. The council calls the terroir remarkably uniform. The estuary protects the vines, with fewer summer heatwaves and no winter frosts, and conditions vary slightly with distance from the river. The gravel stores heat by day and gives it back at night, so the grapes ripen slowly.

INAO describes long-lived wines that are harmonious, powerful and fine, with a fleshy, ample palate and a long, spicy, fruity finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, which predominates, gives finesse and power, and Merlot adds roundness and fruit; after long ageing the bouquet becomes elegant and very recognisable. The Bordeaux wine council adds a dark, almost black colour, silky tannins and blueberry, blackcurrant, blackberry and prune, with tobacco, truffle and leather developing with age, and says the greatest vintages last several decades.

Saint-Julien is a red-wine appellation from the commune of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle. Cabernet Sauvignon covers more than 60 % of the vineyard, with Merlot. The Bordeaux wine council gives 910 ha, about 6 % of the Médoc, and 19 independent growers; INAO gives 929 ha planted. Eleven 1855 classified growths make about 90 % of the wine, one of the highest concentrations in the Médoc. The current specification could not be opened for this entry, so the permitted grape list, density and yield rules are not given here.