ST.-JULIEN

Photo from Angell Guillèn on unsplash

Though commonly and universally known as St.-Julien, the full name of the commune is St.-Julien Beychevelle, the names of the two very small villages that tie the commune together historically.  

Beychevelle, the château, was once the property of an admiral of France. It was the custom, as a sign of respect for him, for ships passing his estate to lower their sails—bacho velo in old Gascon (or baisser la voile, “lower the sail” in today’s French), corrupted to “Beychevelle.” 

St.-Julien has the largest proportion of classified growths of any Médoc commune. These 11 take up a full 85 percent of all the 2,200 acres of vineyard land and, collectively, ensure that St.-Julien wine is consistently high in quality.  

The 6-mile square terrain—it’s a small commune—is nearly identical throughout: quintessential Médoc gravel, allowing for always-reliable drainage, mixed with a bit of clay, lending the wines body and structure. 

In rainy years, St.-Julien’s well-drained soils allowed its châteaux to outperform other médocains. In excellent vintages, it’s difficult to find any St.-Julien classed growth that is lower than superlative. 

Visiting St.-Julien
Apart from the notable beauty of its several châteaux, little else draws visitors to St.-Julien. Only about 800 people live in the commune and their livelihoods are taken up nearly completely with making and selling wine.

As a result—and unlike, say, Pauillac or St.-Emilion, both of which seek out tourists—no stellar restaurants, accommodation or sightseeing mark St.-Julien.

But it is the 11 crus classés châteaux that you must go to see. (And seeing is about all you’ll get: the châteaux aren’t open for casual visits, only by appointment.)

Gruaud-Larose, for example, totally renovated in 1995, lies singular and proud in the midst of an enormous plain of flat green vineyard land. Lagrange, owned since 1983 by Suntory of Japan, has been buffed and polished and its several out-buildings make the estate seem like a small village.

Beychevelle itself is one of the grander Bordeaux châteaux and its gardens are primmed for photo-taking Two of the three Léovilles embrace the town of St.-Julien itself, like arms of wine. Ducru-Beaucaillou presents a gorgeous façade to the Gironde, a tower at each end and a beautiful park around it all.