Saint-Julien
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Gravelly terraces arranged in tiers between 10 and 30 metres in elevation, dissected into ridges by "esteys" and "jalles"
- A deep substratum of Oligocene limestones, marls, and clays, overlain by a Quaternary "faciès à galets" of sands, gravels, and quartz pebbles (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Terrace soils: moderately to strongly leached brown soils or young podzols; valley floors in clay-silty colluvium ("palus")
- The appellation area spans Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, Cussac-Fort-Médoc, Saint-Laurent-Médoc, and 9 cadastral parcels within Pauillac (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Temperate oceanic climate with a pronounced vintage effect, modulated by the Gironde estuary and contrasting late seasons (wet or exceptionally sunny) (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Human factors
- From the 18th century onward, the vineyard of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle was "already very dominant, indeed omnipresent," among the earliest specialized estates of the Médoc.
Product characteristics
- Deeply coloured wines combining elegance and power through Cabernet Sauvignon, with a tannic structure well suited to long ageing.
Terroir / wine link
- Well-drained gravelly soils combined with extended macerations yield a structure built for ageing, with tannins softened through lengthy élévage.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.
Sources
- Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 22 novembre 2011, JORF 24 novembre 2011
- Official INAO text (show_texte)
- INAO product entry
- Official trade body site — CIVB