Saint-Julien:
Tiny Bordeaux Region with Joy to Share
Tiny Bordeaux Region with Joy to Share
On the Left Bank of the Medoc in Bordeaux, directly south of Château Latour’s vineyards in Pauillac, lies the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated region of Saint-Julien. This tiny region boasts eleven classified growths. Five of these are second growth and six are third growth, including Beychevelle, Branaire-Ducru, and Saint-Pierre.
What Saint-Julien lacks for in first growth estates, it more than makes up for it in the three second growth Léoville estates of Barton, Las Cases, and Poyferré. Beloved for centuries, these estates and this terroir offer an experience that, especially when price is considered, rivals the Moutons and Latours. The three were created when the original, larger estate was divided first during the French Revolution, when Barton was spun off, and again in 1840 when Poyferré was formed.
Las Cases is the largest at 98 hectares, mostly Cab with some Merlot, Cab Franc, and a tiny portion of Petit Verdot. Vines here average 40 years in age, offering complexity and nuance from maturity.
Barton’s wines are admired for their austerity in youth, which blossoms into intensity with time. Hugh Barton, then owner of the Saint-Julien Chateau Langoa Barton, formed this estate in 1821 from land purchased from Las Cases. Due to its Irish ownership, it was not considered enemy property by the Germans during WWII (Ireland being a non-combatant).
Perhaps not a household name, Poyferré is known among Bordeaux insiders as producing a “voluptuous” wine, to quote Jane Anson of Decanter, which she attributes to its high proportion of Merlot. This is a hedonistic and deeply rewarding wine to convince the most stubborn of American-only Cab drinkers that there’s life and joy to be found in Bordeaux.
We’ve placed these beloved estates and all of our Saint-Julien wines on our three-day sale, starting now. It’s a superb time to top up your cellars and to explore new favorites.
What Saint-Julien lacks for in first growth estates, it more than makes up for it in the three second growth Léoville estates of Barton, Las Cases, and Poyferré. Beloved for centuries, these estates and this terroir offer an experience that, especially when price is considered, rivals the Moutons and Latours. The three were created when the original, larger estate was divided first during the French Revolution, when Barton was spun off, and again in 1840 when Poyferré was formed.Las Cases is the largest at 98 hectares, mostly Cab with some Merlot, Cab Franc, and a tiny portion of Petit Verdot. Vines here average 40 years in age, offering complexity and nuance from maturity.
Barton’s wines are admired for their austerity in youth, which blossoms into intensity with time. Hugh Barton, then owner of the Saint-Julien Chateau Langoa Barton, formed this estate in 1821 from land purchased from Las Cases. Due to its Irish ownership, it was not considered enemy property by the Germans during WWII (Ireland being a non-combatant).
Perhaps not a household name, Poyferré is known among Bordeaux insiders as producing a “voluptuous” wine, to quote Jane Anson of Decanter, which she attributes to its high proportion of Merlot. This is a hedonistic and deeply rewarding wine to convince the most stubborn of American-only Cab drinkers that there’s life and joy to be found in Bordeaux.
We’ve placed these beloved estates and all of our Saint-Julien wines on our three-day sale, starting now. It’s a superb time to top up your cellars and to explore new favorites.
5% off any 4-8 in-stock wines from Saint-Julien
10% off any 9 or more in-stock wines from Saint-Julien
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Saturday, June 29th at 9 am Pacific.
10% off any 9 or more in-stock wines from Saint-Julien
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Saturday, June 29th at 9 am Pacific.
We offer 15 wines from Saint-Julien, including:
Château Beychevelle, Saint-Julien 2015 750ml Displayed Price: $149, that’s $141.55 at 5% off and $134.10 at 10% off, 10 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 94 points “The 2015 Beychevelle comes across as much more powerful and plush in bottle than it did as a barrel sample. The black cherry, smoke, leather, tobacco, spice and incense notes are all endowed with notable textural depth. Voluptuous but also quite tannic, the 2015 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Readers should expect a powerful, brooding Saint-Julien.”
Château Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 7 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 96 points “The core of this red is loaded with pure plum, blueberry and black currant fruit flavors. The polished structure is integrated, with alluring ganache, anise and sweet tobacco notes throughout, all in a polished and balanced frame. A very classy red that isn’t shy about its power but pushes its purity to the fore. Best from 2024 through 2039. 15,000 cases made. — JM”
Château Gloria, Saint-Julien 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
Neal Martin-Vinous 96 points “The 2019 Gloria has a compelling nose: black fruit, crushed rocks, tobacco and very subtle marine scents that are all beautifully combined. Perhaps the most precise and delineated nose among an impressive array of Saint-Julien’s this year. The palate is medium-bodied with a lively opening. A touch of soy infuses the black fruit; fine-boned with wonderful sapidity on the finish. Extraordinary length. Serious. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.”
Wine Spectator #1 Wine of the Year in 2019!
Château Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $189, that’s $179.55 at 5% off and $170.10 at 10% off, 11 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 97 points “This is so vivid as it brims with pastis-soaked plum, blackberry, black currant and blueberry paste flavors, all carried by a perfectly integrated brambly spine. Tar and ganache notes give the finish an extra kick while everything stays within the mouthwatering roasted apple wood frame. Both regal and rambunctious, this is St.-Julien to a T.”
Château Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $135, that’s $128.25 at 5% off and $121.50 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 97 points “Cassis, crushed plum and steeped blackberry fruit is all packed into this wine, along with tar, violet and roasted apple wood notes, plus a terrific tug of warm earth. Shows lots of energy in reserve, with a tightly knit finish pulling everything together. Cellaring required. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2040. 11,600 cases made. — JM”
Wine Enthusiast 97 points “Editor’s Choice. In this wine, fine and rich tannins partner with powerful black-plum and black-currant fruits. Densely textured while also having swathes of rich fruits, the wine shows both a firm side and one that offers total deliciousness. As it matures, both these aspects will come together. Drink from 2027. -Roger Voss”
Jeb Dunnuck’s #7 Wine of the Year!
Château Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $119, that’s $113.05 at 5% off and $107.10 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “The flagship 2019 Château Léoville Barton is brilliant, showing both the style of the estate as well as the vintage beautifully. It’s never the biggest or richest wine, yet it has a classic, vibrant, structured style that ages beautifully. Pure cassis, black currants, scorched earth, new leather, and graphite are just some of its nuances, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a lively spine of acidity, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. This textbook Léoville Barton demands a decade of bottle age and will keep for 30-40 years.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 97 points “Like its stablemate Langoa Barton, the 2019 Léoville Barton is a timeless classic, made for patient connoisseurs. Offering up aromas of blackcurrants, plums, pencil shavings and licorice, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, its deep core of fruit framed by a chassis of rich, powdery tannin that makes itself felt on the youthfully firm finish. While it’s clearly built for the long haul, its structural seamlessness and mid-palate plenitude mark it out as one of the finest wines from this château in recent times. Could it be a more concentrated modern-day version of Anthony Barton’s brilliant 1985?”
Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien 2014 750ml Displayed Price: $99, that’s $94.05 at 5% off and $89.10 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 95 points “The 2014 Léoville Poyferré is gorgeous. Dark, sumptuous and ample on the palate, it possesses remarkable depth. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, scorched earth, licorice and menthol all flesh out as this radiant, deeply expressive wine shows off its considerable pedigree. The 2014 is going to need time to fully come together, but it is super-impressive. Tasted two times.”
Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien 2015 1.5L Displayed Price: $249, that’s $236.55 at 5% off and $224.10 at 10% off, 6 magnums in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is cut from the same cloth as the 2016, yet is more sexy, rounded and opulent. Notes of cassis, licorice, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings and graphite all emerge from this unctuous, ripe, pedal-to-the-metal beauty that’s absolutely loaded with fruit and texture. Reminding me of the 2003, yet only fresher, don’t miss this beauty. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years and last for 3-4 decades.”
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 97 points “The 2015 Léoville-Poyferré is spectacular. Inky, dense and explosive, the 2015 possesses off the chart richness, with soft contours, no hard edges and exceptional balance. All the elements are simply fused together. inky blue/purplish fruit, chocolate, new leather, blueberry jam, exotic spice and violet notes are all beautifully delineated throughout. Fresh, vibrant and totally sexy, Léoville-Poyferré is one of the wines of the vintage. Don’t miss it! Tasted two times.”
Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $135, that’s $128.25 at 5% off and $121.50 at 10% off, 8 bottles in stock now
Decanter 98 points “Relatively closed right now, as are all the St-Juliens, this takes time to open in the glass but does so to reveal lots of northern Médoc character in the liquorice and brambly fruit puree, with touches of caramel and sweet cassis. It’s hewn out of slate boulders with layers of tannin – a lovely construction that’s deepened even further during ageing. 2% Cabernet Franc finishes the blend. Matured in 80% new oak. Michel Rolland consults. Drinking Window 2024 – 2040.”
Château Léoville-Las Cases, Saint-Julien 2012 750ml Displayed Price: $219, that’s $208.05 at 5% off and $197.10 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
Robert M. Parker Jr.-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The bigger sister or brother of Le Petit Lion, depending on your point of view, the 2012 Leoville Las Cases has gorgeous minerality, plenty of blueberry and blackcurrant fruit that is super-pure, an opaque ruby/purple color, medium body and firm structured, slightly austere personality. This wine is built for the long-term. A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc, it attained 13.5% alcohol, which is substantial for a 2012 Médoc. It has depth and richness, but also a boatload of tannin. Forget it for 8-10 years and drink over the following 15-20.”
Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $79, that’s $75.05 at 5% off and $71.10 at 10% off, 13 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 95 points “The 2018 Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) is a powerful, muscular wine. Black cherry, gravel, dark spice, menthol, licorice and espresso add to an impression of brooding intensity. Saint-Pierre was so compelling from barrel. It is all that and more from bottle. The tannins are going to need a number of years to soften, but there is so much to look forward to here. Readers should expect a virile, imposing Saint-Julien.”
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 95 points “Composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot, the 2018 Saint-Pierre bursts from the glass with a glorious perfume of kirsch, blackcurrant pastilles, black raspberries and cedar chest with hints of red roses, pencil shavings and spice box. The medium to full-bodied palate coats the mouth with velvety tannins and beautifully knit freshness, supporting the generous black and red berry layers, finishing long and perfumed. It needs a good four years for the oak to marry and the fruit to really hit its stride, then should drink a further 20+ years.”
Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $79, that’s $75.05 at 5% off and $71.10 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points “Very pretty and typical for the appellation with aromas of blackcurrants, violets and sandalwood that follow through to a full body with layers of polished tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Lasts a long time on the palate. Classic structure. Drink after 2027.”
Shop our 15 selections from Saint-Julien on sale now on our webstore!
Don’t miss our additional sales going on now:
Two German pioneers offering a variety of white wines in a range of prices from the Pfalz: Von Winning, known for their neutral oak aging and profound aromatics, and Muller-Catoir, one of German’s oldest and most admired estates. Required reading for all German fans!
Von Winning
5% off any 3-5 in-stock wines from Von Winning
10% off any 6 or more in-stock wines from Von Winning
Muller-Catoir
5% off any 3-5 in-stock wines from Muller-Catoir
10% off any 6 or more in-stock wines from Muller-Catoir
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Von Winning sale ends Thursday, June 27th at 9 am Pacific. Muller-Catoir sale ends Friday, June 28th at 9 am Pacific.