Location and landscape
Saint-Estèphe is a municipal appellation on the left bank of the Gironde on the Médoc peninsula, between Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave. Its geographic area corresponds to the commune of Saint-Estèphe in the Gironde department. The proximity to the Gironde tempers climatic extremes.
Terraces and soils
Vineyard areas lie on Quaternary gravel terraces running parallel to the Gironde, rising from around 4 to 40 metres in height. Jalles and Esteys drain the land towards the Gironde and divide the terraces into individual elevations. The gravel, about ten metres thick, is laid over marls and limestone from the Eocene and Oligocene. Predominant are sandy-gravelly and clayey-gravelly soils; in the west, shallow rendzinas over solid limestone are found.
Grape varieties and cultivation
The permitted varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cot, or Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape variety, while Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are important blending partners. The appellation requires at least 7,000 vines per hectare. Yields are limited to 57 hectolitres per hectare, with a regular maximum yield of 63 hectolitres.
Wine style and maturation
Saint-Estèphe is a controlled and protected designation of origin for dry red wines. They are intensely coloured, usually structured, full-bodied and rich in tannin. Cabernet Sauvignon gives them a strong framework and a broad tannin structure, while Merlot frequently provides red fruit and roundness. Multi-year ageing can bring more roundness, fruit and finesse. The prescribed ageing period runs at least until 1 June of the year following the harvest; marketing to consumers is permitted from 1 September of the same year. The appellation was recognised for the first time in 1936.
