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55

Right bank Appellations

Saint-Julien

920 hectares of vines I 26 producers I 6.5 million bottles a year

A substantial proportion of Saint-Julien's vineyards are to be found alongside

the Gironde estuary and in the middle of Haut-Médoc – so it is no surprise that

the appellation (in which the majority of wines come from classified estates) is

regularly described as the most reliable and consistent in the Médoc region. The

appellation covers a gravel-rich area 5 kilometres long and 3.5 kilometres wide.

Saint-Julien has by far the most uniform terroir in the Médoc. The proportion of

Cabernet Sauvignon used here is similar to in Pauillac. The juicy, elegant, excep-

tionally sensual and smoothly ample qualities of Saint-Julien wines make them

some of the most popular and well loved of any produced in the Médoc.

Pauillac

1,200 hectares of vines I 110 producers I 9 million bottles a year

Pauillac with its tiny harbour is the most important location in Haut-Médoc. It is

surrounded by the world-famous sites of three Premiers Crus, a handful of ‘su-

per seconds' and a number of ambitious estates following close behind. The ex-

tremely lean, deep gravel soils in the form of flat hilltops mixed with a little clay

and sand on the fringes, around two thirds of which are planted with Cabernet

Sauvignon, produce wines o

ff

ering density, structure, sophistication and power.

Saint-Estèphe

1,200 hectares of vines I 150 producers I 10 million bottles a year

Saint-Estèphe is the most northerly village appellation in the Médoc. It contains

only five classi

fi

ed but around 40 unclassi

fi

ed estates, which also produce ex-

cellent wines in good years. Saint-Estèphe is a goldmine for treasure seekers