St-Estèphe resides on the Left Bank of the Gironde River in the area of Médoc, and is the furthest north of the four best-known Left Bank regions. The history of vine cultivation in this region dates back to Roman times, with commercial expansion occurring in the Middle Ages. Today, the vineyards of Saint-Estèphe stretch across 3,000 acres of land, and produce an average of approximately 8.7 million bottles of wine annually.
The soil of the St-Estèphe region is proportionally higher in clay than other Bordeaux regions, producing red wines that are robust, earthy, firm, and tannic. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape, but St-Estèphe produces the most Merlot of any Left Bank region. The other, lesser-grown grape varieties in the region are Cabernet Franc, Carménère, Côt, and Petit Verdot. The combinations, and proportions, of each of these six grape varieties distinguish the wines of each of the region’s chateaux.
St-Estèphe Chateaux
- Chateau Cos d’Estournel
- Chateau Montrose
- Chateau Calon-Segur
- Chateau Lafon-Rochet
- Chateau Cos Labory