Regional profile: St-Estèphe plus 17 wines worth seeking out

The northernmost of the big four Médoc appellations also has the coolest climate, and as Bordeaux’s heatwaves become ever fiercer, this factor is becoming a major asset for the region. We take a look at how some of the leading châteaux are making the most of their terroir.

By Panos Kakaviatos

last updated 12 December 2023

in Tastings

Château Phélan Ségur, one of St-Estèphe’s top estates

(Image credit: Château Phélan Ségur, one of St-Estèphe’s top estates)

Just ahead of the April barrel tastings for the 2022 vintage in Bordeaux, I visited Château Phélan Ségur in St-Estèphe. The estate has been working since 2020 to ensure that only indigenous yeasts are used to ferment each parcel of vines harvested. The team reported promising results, as those yeasts have made the wine brighter.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for St-Estèphe selection of wines

Phélan Ségur is one of many quality-minded châteaux from the northernmost of the Médoc’s prestige appellations, which sometimes seems cast in the shade, partly because it does not have as many famous ‘brands’ as other regions, partly because it is the furthest drive away from Bordeaux city. But St-Estèphe is imbued with a sense of solidarity. I was told during my visit that the châteaux have agreed to work with special balloons that diffuse calcium chloride and sodium chloride in storm cells, which could limit conditions for hail formation. In June last year, hail ripped through vineyards in St-Estèphe, prompting this team effort.

Getting to St-Estèphe may take a bit more time, but it is worth making the effort. One can start with its three most celebrated estates. Driving north from Pauillac along the Médoc’s D2 Route du Vin, the wonderful sight of the exotic sandstone pagodas of Château Cos d’Estournel greets you, perched 20m up across from Pauillac first growth Château Lafite Rothschild. The unique architecture – inspired by trips to Asia by founder Louis Gaspard d’Estournel in the 18th-19th centuries – is matched by impressive wine, rated ‘second growth’ in the enduring 1855 Médoc Classification. Often sumptuous, the wine can match first growth quality. The estate has leapfrogged to new heights via intricate soil studies, and increased harvesting and vat room precision under the ownership of entrepreneur and hospitality supremo Michel Reybier since 2000.

DES287.st_estephe.new_chai2_credit_alain_benoit.jpg — The barrel cellar at second growth Château Montrose.

St-Estèphe boasts another wine that matches first growth quality: Château Montrose. Rather than using the D2, you can head north out of Pauillac along the Boulevard Maritime, adjacent to the Gironde estuary, and this will permit you to admire its impressive sloping vineyards overlooking the charming stilted fishing huts known as carrelets along the riverbank. Vineyards that ‘see the river’ benefit from a microclimate that can better prevent spring frost or freshen summer heat. Along with great terroir – the vineyard resembles the famous ‘clos’ of Château Latour in Pauillac – Château Montrose has upped its game via cellar renovations and greater harvesting and winemaking precision since Martin and Olivier Bouygues acquired it in 2006. Pierre Graffeuille, who proved his talent previously at Château Léoville Las Cases in St-Julien, was named director in 2022.

The excellent third growth Château Calon Ségur, in the north of the appellation, is another star, especially since planting density has increased over the last 15 years. More Cabernet Sauvignon in recent blends makes for superb structure, power and refinement (the heart on the label makes for ideal romantic dinners).

St-Estèphe at a glance

Appellation Created in 1936

Soils Varied, from clay, sand and limestone to gravel. Cooler clay soils have assumed greater importance for climate change

Producers 62 estates (only five officially classified under the 1855 ranking, but numerous excellent non-classified wines); plus 17 cooperative wine-growers

Area planted 1,180ha under vine – third largest after Margaux and Pauillac of the Médoc’s six communal appellations

Yields Maximum 57hl/ha (although averages at 45hl/ha – in 2020 it was 41hl/ha)

Grapes planted 49.35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3.2% Petit Verdot, 0.25% Côt (Malbec) & Carmenère

Beyond the big names

Outside these famous brands, St-Estèphe seems overshadowed by the other three main communes further south: Pauillac, St-Julien and Margaux. It has the fewest 1855 classified growths – just five when you add fourth growth Château Lafon-Rochet and fifth growth Château Cos Labory. The smaller St-Julien boasts 11.

For too long, St-Estèphe wines have been known as merely sturdy and powerful. Nicolas Glumineau of Château de Pez and Claire Ridley of Château Le Crock talk of high acidity levels from colder soils that can accentuate tannins in their wines compared with wines further south. But these and other St-Estèphe estates have become smoother and more nuanced. While that can be explained partly by innovation at estates such as Phélan Ségur, another reason is better tannin extraction. And climate change.

Château Haut-Marbuzet owner Henri Duboscq says that wines over the last 10 years have ‘benefited’ from global warming. Colder soils in previous years often meant inadequate ripening, but cold water-retaining clays common to the appellation have become a virtue: ‘They better resist [the] increasing heatwaves in recent years,’ he says.

Bernard Audoy, former co-owner until its March sale (see ‘estates to watch’ below) of Château Cos Labory, recalls: ‘St-Estèphe wines were hard and acidic, because we harvested too early – and grapes were not completely ripe.’ But more recently, ‘warming allows for very ripe Cabernet Sauvignons, which have the same alcoholic degree as the Merlots.’

Extra acidity? Again, a virtue, lending freshness to wines from ‘solar’ vintages – with wines marked by the heat of the summer – such as 2015, 2018 and 2019. So dry was 2022 that the Pessac-Léognan, Pomerol and St-Emilion regions were allowed to irrigate, but not St-Estèphe. Véronique Dausse, managing director at Château Phélan Ségur, remarks: ‘Having spent 15 days of August 2022 in the Médoc, and despite a significant water deficit in the spring, I attest to the ability of our vineyard to overcome a summer heatwave.’

Readers should note that the hot summer of 2022 was the driest recorded so far this century – this could be good news for the vineyards in St-Estèphe which are normally cooler. The deeply coloured wines, packed with dark berry aromas and floral and spicy notes, should count among the most striking of the vintage as tasted from barrel. If you’re visiting, whoever the owner, be sure to ask for a sample of the 2022 vintage.

Travel: Enjoy a St-Estèphe tour

Take advantage of wine tourism developing in the appellation. Michel Reybier of nearby Château Cos d’Estournel opened La Maison d’Estournel in 2019. Surrounded by vines and century-old trees, the 14-room property has an 18m-long swimming pool. After a dip, enjoy lunch on the terrace of the hotel restaurant, a Travellers’ Choice 2022 winner on Tripadvisor.

You can stay at the gorgeous 18th-century home adjacent to the Château Ormes de Pez cellars, close to the village of St-Estèphe, or at Château Laffitte Carcasset, another historic estate first referenced in 1759: both feature outdoor pools to escape the summer heat. Château Phélan Ségur offers lunches in the château salons, stressing the link between wine and gastronomy.

Be sure to make reservations before you visit any of the châteaux. In July and August, take advantage of free tastings on Wednesdays 2pm-6pm, when vintners welcome visitors at St-Estèphe’s Maison du Vin in town by the church of St-Etienne. Call the reception team for more tips. saint-estephe.fr

A word on whites

As elsewhere in Médoc, some St-Estèphe estates produce dry white wines. ‘We are rediscovering that the Médoc is a great white wine terroir, yielding freshness and tension,’ notes Pierre Maussire of cru bourgeois supérieur Château Laffitte Carcasset, who in 2020 planted Chardonnay on calcareous plots, with the first harvest scheduled for this year. Since 2011, one hectare at Château Tronquoy-Lalande has been used to craft its Blanc dry white that has many admirers (2018, £40 Lay & Wheeler). Château Cos d’Estournel has 17 years of experience with white wines. ‘We strongly believe in the potential of these terroirs to produce great whites,’ remarks technical director Dominique Arangoïts. A recent movement to create a separate Médoc Blanc appellation ‘deserves to be studied’, although he believes that in some cases a specific brand would outshine any new appellation.

St-Estèphe: know your vintages

2021 2.5 stars Complicated vintage with light to medium body.

2020 5 stars Solar vintage, but lower-than-expected alcohol levels make for truly classic wines.

2019 4.5 stars Solar vintage, high alcohol but balancing acidity translates into big wines with verve.

2018 4 stars Extravagant opulence makes the Médoc reflect California, but cooler St-Estèphe often has excellent balance.

2017 3 stars Solid, if somewhat unexciting.

2016 5 stars Benchmark vintage combining refined classicism, depth and freshness.

2015 4 stars Rich, savoury and sometimes ‘big’, but not as refined as 2016.

2014 4 stars Less rain here than in the southern Médoc resulted in a robust vintage with tannic finesse.

2013 1 star Weak vintage: drink up.

2012 3.5 stars Warm, inviting attack and full mid-palate, but lacks the length of a great vintage.

Raising the profile: St-Estèphe estates to watch

DES287.st_estephe.kf53kt_credit_photononstop_alamy_stock_photo.jpg — Château Meyney.

The St-Estèphe region includes delicious ‘non-classified’ wines of Bordeaux – and many bargains. The appellation’s gravel terroir runs to elevations up to 20m high, which enables Cabernet Sauvignon to shine bright at, for example, Château Beau-Site, where quality has improved in recent years but the price remains very friendly.

Consumers can find classified wine quality at Château Phélan Ségur, where selection of individual parcels has made the wine more precise in recent years, with fermentation tanks as small as 5hl used to match selected harvests, according to director Véronique Dausse. And if you visit the mighty Château Montrose, do not miss neighbour Château Meyney, which also has an impressive slope overlooking the Gironde estuary. Owner CA Grands Crus has invested in replacing fermentation vats to better reflect harvest selections.

With vines near both Phélan Ségur and Meyney, Château Capbern is better than ever, with more Cabernet Sauvignon in blends and more precise harvests. Still quite inexpensive – great news for consumers – the estate benefits from the direction of Vincent Millet, who crafts Château Calon Ségur.

St-Estèphe has witnessed important ownership changes involving classified growths, including the purchase earlier this year of Château Cos Labory from the Audoy family by Château Cos d’Estournel owner Michel Reybier, bringing together two major properties in St-Estèphe.

Cru bourgeois exceptionnel Château Lilian Ladouys benefited from the purchase in 2018 of 34ha of vines from Châteaux Clauzet and Tour de Pez, which increased the vineyard area to 80.5ha. The Lorenzetti family owners also acquired the impeccably run Château Lafon-Rochet in 2021 (previously owned by the Tesseron family). Each estate of the Lorenzetti family has its own dedicated team with Lafon-Rochet now run by Christophe Congé, previously at Château Lafite Rothschild (not Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen as the Bordeaux Guide 2023 incorrectly stated, who actually manages Château Pédescleaux, Pauillac fifth growth and also part of the Vignobles Cruze-Lorenzetti stable).

Quality & value: The St-Estèphe selection

Explore More

Panos Kakaviatos has been a published wine writer since 2001, writing in internationally recognized media including Decanter, but also Harpers Wine & Spirit, Meiningers Wine Business International and The World of Fine Wine.

Regional profile: St-Estèphe plus 17 wines worth seeking out