Guide To St Julien Wine: 10 Best Bottles, Prices, Terroir

The St Julien wine appellation isn’t a stranger to wine collectors and enthusiasts. 

It sits between the iconic Pauillac and Margaux regions in Bordeaux.

The high concentration of classified crus makes this small wine region a great source of elegant, age-worthy vintages. In fact, St Julien has 11 classified growths within its borders.

In this article, we’ll delve into the make-up of the St Julien wine region. We’ll cover a selection of elegant bottles from its famed estates and explore St Julien’s potential as an investment opportunity. 

A Quick Intro to the St Julien Wine AOC

St Julien (or Saint Julien) AOC is a small but significant Bordeaux red wine appellation. 

Located on the Left Bank of Bordeaux, it is sandwiched by Pauillac to the north and Margaux to the south in the Medoc subregion.  

While some Chateaux in Margaux and Pauillac were awarded First Growth status, unfortunately, the tight cluster of St Julien vineyards did not receive the same attention in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification.

There are no First Growths in the region. However, 11 St Julien vineyards were given Second to Fourth crus classés. 

These are the classified growths that account for about 75% of St Julien’s output:

Second Growth:

• Château Léoville Las Cases
• Château Léoville Poyferré
• Château Léoville Barton
• Château Gruaud Larose
• Château Ducru Beaucaillou

Originally, Léoville Las Cases, Leoville Poyferre, and Léoville Barton were one large estate. 

Third Growth:

• Château Langoa Barton 
• Château Lagrange

Fourth Growth:

• Château Beychevelle
• Château Branaire-Ducru
• ChâteauTalbot 
• Château Saint-Pierre (The grapes from the Chateau Saint-Pierre vineyard are transported to the unclassified Château Gloria and the wine is made there.)

The dominant grape variety planted in St Julien (like most Left Bank estates) is Cabernet Sauvignon. This is followed by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carmenère, typically used for blending.

The Terroir in the St Julien Wine Region 

Saint Julien has a total vineyard area of about 910 hectares and is the smallest of the primary Medoc appellations. 

Almost every hectare of St Julien is under vine, except a 500m wide strip on the Gironde bank to the west. Some northern St. Julien vineyards back into the Chateau Latour vineyard in Pauillac, though wine styles produced are marketed differently.

The terroir in St. Julien is a complex mix of gravel, sand, clay, and limestone, with elevations ranging from 0 to 22m. The gravel in the soils provides excellent drainage while reflecting sunlight, radiating heat to the vine. 

The complexity of the soil allows for a variety of character-filled St Julien wines, which we’ll look at next.

10 Elegant St Julien Wine Bottles to Try in 2023

The wineries of St Julien produce a cornucopia of exotic styles. Here’s a selection of St Julien fine wine bottles for you to consider:

• 2016 Chateau Leoville Las Cases 'Grand Vin de Leoville'
• 2018 Château Ducru Beaucaillou
• 2015 Chateau Beychevelle
• 2010 Chateau Leoville Poyferre
• 2009 Chateau Gruaud Larose
• 2010 Château Talbot
• 2016 Chateau Léoville Barton
• 2010 Chateau Langoa Barton
• 2018 Château Lagrange
• 2015 Château Gloria

1. 2016 Chateau Leoville Las Cases 'Grand Vin de Leoville', Saint-Julien, France ($350)

The 2016 Leoville Las Cases is a deep purple blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. This expressive wine displays notes of blackcurrant, redcurrant, and blueberries, framed by ripe tannins and a captivating freshness.

2. 2018 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien, France ($240)

This fine bottle of Ducru Beaucaillou offers ripeness and concentration in its flavors, featuring aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, and bark. Its fine, silky tannin structure is accompanied by fantastic freshness, ending on a graphite-edged finish.

3. 2015 Chateau Beychevelle, Saint-Julien, France ($130)

The 2015 Beychevelle offers notes of blackberry, cassis, and boysenberry in a well-defined bouquet. The medium-bodied palate is opulent with black fruit, with a fine tannin structure and an almost effervescent finish. 

4. 2010 Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Saint-Julien, France ($200)

The 2010 Leoville Poyferre is a full-bodied wine with fantastic notes of pure crème de cassis, graphite, licorice, and spring flowers. This concentrated wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, offering a wealth of fruit and abundant, sweet tannin levels. 

5. 2009 Chateau Gruaud Larose, Saint-Julien, France ($150)

The 2009 Gruaud Larose is a fine wine of cedar, earth, licorice, and cassis notes with smoky and peppery nuances. Balanced, rich, and full-bodied, it has abundant, silky tannins and a concentrated density of fruit. 

6. 2010 Chateau Talbot, Saint-Julien, France ($120)

This 2010 Chateau Talbot vintage offers terrific notes of creme de cassis, licorice, and roasted herbs.  Medium to full-bodied, this fabulous wine has lavish amounts of fruit-infused into its expansive mouthfeel, displaying a wonderful texture and long finish.

7. 2016 Chateau Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien, France ($140)

The 2016 vintage of the Leoville Barton is vivid, brimming with an intensity of dark berries, blackcurrant, and violets. The palate is a powerful, linear core of abundant fruit, coffee, and dark chocolate. 

8. 2010 Chateau Langoa Barton, Saint-Julien, France ($110)

Experience exquisite aromas of blackberry, cedar, and sage in this serious, complex wine. The velvety, medium-bodied palate is supported by supple tannins, framing a harmony of black fruit laced with cedar and white pepper.

9. 2018 Chateau Lagrange, Saint-Julien, France ($90)

The flagship 2018 Chateau Lagrange is a deep garnet-purple hue, displaying delicious notes of crème de cassis, blackcurrant, and chocolate-covered cherries. There is a purity of fruit with plenty of silky tannins on the palate, finishing to a lingering mineral note. 

10. 2015 Château Gloria, Saint-Julien, France ($60)

This 2015 Château Gloria displays a lushness of blackberry and blueberry fruit, with a medium-bodied palate of fine tannin structure and pure fruit intensity. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. 

What foods match well with St Julien red wine?

You can pair Saint Julien wines with most roasted, grilled, or braised, or meats. You can try them with mushroom and truffle, and some seafood dishes too. 

Next, let’s take a look at some more interesting bits on the St Julien appellation.

5 More Interesting Facts About The St Julien Wine Region

Saint Julien may be small compared to its more famous peers, but it has its fair share of stories.

1. St Julien Has the Largest Classified Left Bank Estate

Saint Julien boasts the largest classified estate on the Left Bank, the 123-hectare vineyard of Chateau Lagrange.

2. The Barton Chateaux of St Julien Are Still Family-Run

St. Julien is home to the only two châteaux that have remained in the same family since the 1855 Classification of the Medoc. These are Langoa Barton and Leoville Barton.

3. The St Julien Appellation Name is Exclusive

Chateau Belgrave of the Saint Laurent commune lies just a few hundred meters from Chateau Lagrange. However, despite this short distance, Chateau Belgrave cannot claim the valuable St Julien appellation name (unlike Château Lagrange). It’s only eligible for the wider Haut Medoc AOC.

For a similar reason, growers in the Haut Medoc commune of Cussac continually demand their vines be a part of the St Julien appellation. 

Only 38 hectares of Cussac vine are classified as coming from St Julien (Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou and Chateau Beychevelle.) 

4. St Julien Wines Can Be Similar To Pauillac and Margaux

St Julien’s proximity to Pauillac and Margaux results in wines of similar character — reflecting the masculine power of Pauillac or the feminine elegance of Margaux. This isn’t surprising since some estates have similar terroir, like the Leoville vineyards of Latour in Pauillac. 

5. St Julien Also Produces White Wine

While the St Julien AOC is known for red wine, some producers also make white Bordeaux wine, like Château Lagrange and Château Talbot. However, due to AOC rules, white wine from St Julien châteaux carries the generic Bordeaux Blanc label. 

With all its crus classés, is Saint Julien wine a good choice for investment?

Investing in St Julien Wine

St Julien’s terroir benefits from the same gravel ridges as that of Pauillac and Margaux. So, its wineries are capable of producing vintages of impressive structure with excellent aging potential.

In general, the aging spectrum of St Julien wines falls between a good 5 to a venerable 50 years. 

The absence of First Growths further fuels competition between producers, ramping up the quality of Saint Julien wine. 

As a result, St Julien offers some of the best value among great Bordeaux wines. 

• The 2016 Leoville Las Cases, for example, was initially released at $208 per bottle. In November 2021, the price is $350, a 68% increase in value.
• The 2018 Ducru Beaucaillou which was released at $160 per bottle. The average price in November 2021 is $240, a 50% growth in two years.

These wines should draw the interest of any savvy investor. 

If you want to discover the magic of investing in fine wine - start by signing up with a world-class online wine investment company like Vinovest. 

Invest In An Age-worthy Bordeaux From St Julien!

A complex, nuanced character and the ability to age well are the hallmarks of any great wine. This is something that St Julien has to offer in abundance from its 910 hectares of vineyard soil. 

Just like any great wine, the finest St Julien vintages aren’t something you can easily pick from a store shelf - which is why you should consider using Vinovest. Vinovest offers an easy way for you to buy, store, and sell (if you want to) fine wine from anywhere in the world.