The appellation lies on the banks of the estuary, in the heart of the Médoc region, just 50km north of Bordeaux. Its proximity to both the sea and the estuary gives it a mild climate with regular temperatures, good sunshine and beneficial breezes, a combination of factors that ensures optimum ripeness levels in the grapes.
The 1250 ha of vines are planted in an area composed of well-drained outcrops. Their natural drainage properties are enhanced by the composition of the predominantly gravelly terroir. Thousands of years ago, in the quaternary era, the gravelly soils and stones of the faraway mountains were torn away by torrential rivers and settled in successive layers on the tertiary substrata. The gravel is composed of small round pebbles and white oval- shaped quartz stones as well as clay, flint, volcanic Lydian and grit mixed with varying proportions of sand and clay differing from one area of the appellation to the next. This remarkable geological diversity partly explains the variety of the landscapes and soil colours.
1180 Ha (7.5% of the Medoc wine region)
50% Cabernet Sauvignon
40% Merlot
7% Cabernet Franc
3% Petit Verdot
Winemakers: 61 independent winegrowers and around 17 cooperative winegrowers at the Cave Coopérative de Saint-Estèphe
5 Grands Crus Classés (Classified Growths) from the 1855
classification, around 15 Crus Bourgeois, 3 Crus Artisans
Comments