Saint-Estèphe
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- The geographical zone falls within Quaternary gravelly terraces arranged parallel to the Gironde estuary, at altitudes ranging from 4 to 40 metres.
- These gravelly terraces, averaging around ten metres in thickness, rest on Eocene and Oligocene marls and limestones that outcrop notably to the west of the commune.
- The 'Sable des Landes', an aeolian Quaternary sand, covers these formations to the west at the edge of the forest, while recent alluvial deposits known locally as 'palus' border the estuary.
- Soils on the gravel ridges are predominantly sandy-gravelly or clay-gravelly in character, with a base of hard limestone irregularly covered by sandy-gravelly soils and shallow rendzinas to the west.
- To the east, the viticultural gravel ridges lie very close to the estuary, reducing the 'palus' zones to a band of 200 to 300 metres in width.
- The gravel soils of the appellation contain a slightly higher proportion of clay than those of the other village appellations in the Médoc vineyard area. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- The local microclimate is tempered by the proximity of the Gironde, the largest estuary in Europe, whose influence moderates temperature extremes. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Human factors
- In the thirteenth century, when Gui Martin de Saint-Estèphe was lord of Calon, Saint-Estèphe began to be known for its 'good vines', which were already more profitable than cereal crops.
- The 1855 Bordeaux wine classification recognised five crus within the commune of Saint-Estèphe, while the 1932 Crus Bourgeois classification rewarded around forty.
Product characteristics
- The wines display an intense red colour and a robust structure with an ample tannic framework contributed by Cabernet Sauvignon, which is most often the dominant variety in the blends.
- These full-bodied, powerful wines require several years of ageing, which brings them roundness, fruitiness, and finesse, making them wines for the cellar and sometimes for very long keeping.
Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.
About this boundary
On the map, at overview zooms, this appellation is drawn as a silhouette of its vineyard generalised at 250 m from the INAO parcel delimitation; the parcels themselves appear as you zoom in.
Sources
- Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 27 avril 2026, JORF 30 avril 2026
- Official INAO text (show_texte)
- INAO product entry
- Official trade body site — CIVB
Open Wine Map