Saint-Estèphe
The northernmost of the 4 great communes, and the only one whose appellation stops at the commune line: gravel over clay and hard limestone, 5 classified growths and the most Crus Bourgeois of the 4.
The place
Saint-Estèphe is the last of the 4 famous communes going north, and the only one whose appellation stops at the commune line. The soils are sand and gravel or clay and gravel, with quartz, sandstone and flint in the gravel; in the west a base of hard limestone lies under an uneven cover of sandy gravel and thin rendzinas, and a marine limestone runs beneath. About 1,200 hectares, 7.5% of the Médoc, with 69 estates and a cooperative cellar of more than 80 members on 120 hectares, produce some 65,000 hectoliters a year.
The rules
Red only, from the 6 Médoc varieties, at 7,000 vines a hectare, 57 hectoliters with a ceiling of 63 and 11% of natural alcohol, raised until June 1 and released from September 1 of the year after the harvest. The plantings are 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the heaviest Merlot share of the 4 communes, and the answer to the clay. The appellation dates from September 11, 1936; the cahier des charges (the appellation’s official rulebook) in force, the appellation’s official rulebook, was set by order on October 26, 2021.
The names
5 growths of 1855: Cos d’Estournel and Montrose among the Seconds, Calon Ségur among the Thirds, Lafon-Rochet among the Fourths, Cos Labory among the Fifths. The pagodas of the Maharajah at Cos d’Estournel: we wrote about that here. The vineyard of Montrose, planted on woodland cleared in 1815: we wrote about that here. Below them, the classification of 2025 holds 9 Crus Bourgeois here and the Crus Artisans list of 2022 to 2026 holds 3; the bourgeois list of 1932 had named some 40.
- Color
- Red
- Communes
- Saint-Estèphe
- Vineyard
- About 1,200 hectares; 69 estates and 1 cooperative
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carmenère
- Density
- 7,000 vines a hectare at least
- Yield
- 57 hectoliters a hectare, ceiling 63
- Alcohol
- 11% natural at least
- Release
- From September 1 of the year after the harvest
- Classified
- 5 growths of 1855
- AOC since
- September 11, 1936
Sources: FGVB, cahier des charges Saint-Estèphe, arrêté du 26 octobre 2021 · Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux · Maison du Vin de Saint-Estèphe · Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855
The stack
The same ground in Saint-Estèphe may also be labeled Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur, Crémant de Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc and Pauillac. A grower chooses which appellation to sell under, and the narrowest is almost always the dearest.
The appellations of Bordeaux are stacked, not laid side by side. The map draws the whole stack. Open the map
Classifications that reach this appellation: The Classification of 1855, The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, The Crus Artisans du Médoc and The Michelin Guide selection.
Châteaux on this site
- Château Beau-Site
- Château Calon Ségur
- Château Capbern
- Château Cos d’Estournel
- Château Cos Labory
- Château Cossieu-Coutelin
- Château Coutelin Merville
- Château de Côme
- Château de Pez
- Château German Marbuzet
- Château Graves de Pez
- Château Haut-Beauséjour
- Château Haut-Marbuzet
- Château Laffitte Carcasset
- Château Lafon-Rochet
- Château Le Boscq
- Château Le Crock
- Château Lilian Ladouys
- Château Linot
- Château Marceline
- Château Meyney
- Château Montrose
- Château Ormes de Pez
- Château Phélan Ségur
- Château Picard
- Château Tour de Pez
- Château Tour des Termes
- Château Tour Saint-Fort
- Château Tronquoy
Tastings
15
April 20, 2026 · 10
Bordeaux En Primeur 2025, Day 1
March 6, 2026
Pagodes de Cos 2016, Saint Estèphe
January 23, 2026
Château Cos Labory 2018, Saint-Estèphe
January 22, 2026 · 2
Pagodes de Cos 2016, Saint-Estèphe (Magnum)
January 21, 2026
Château Cos d’Estournel 2020, Saint-Estèphe
January 20, 2026
Château Cos d’Estournel 2010, Saint-Estèphe
News from Saint-Estèphe
7
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Jérémy Cukierman takes the helm at Cos d’Estournel
Jérémy Cukierman has been appointed general manager of Château Cos d’Estournel in Saint-Estèphe, a role left vacant since Aymeric de Gironde departed in 2017. The estate announced the appointment during the 2026 harvest.
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Sensory experience in Goiânia revisits the historic Bordeaux Classification - Zelo
In Goiânia on July 9, sommelière Emília Almeida will lead a tasting experience featuring wines from Margaux, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Pauillac and revisiting the Bordeaux Classification created in Paris in 1855.
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Bordeaux 2025 en primeur: Saint-Estèphe wines ‘thrill’ in this vintage
Saint-Estèphe’s 2025 en primeur wines performed especially well and compared favorably with nearby Pauillac, according to thedrinksbusiness.com.
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Terre de Vins’ tasting team reassessed the 2023 wines being delivered from Saint-Estèphe and Pauillac after 2 years of élevage. Promising potential identified during primeurs was confirmed in some wines, while the vintage also produced more accessible successes than 2022.
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Decanter reveals Montrose Blanc, a small-production white wine from Château Montrose in St-Estèphe that revives the estate’s historical tradition of making white wine.
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Uncover hidden gems: Affordable Bordeaux and Burgundy wines
Decanter rounds up 14 best-value wines under £30 from Bordeaux and Burgundy. The selection spans multiple styles and includes Bordeaux regions such as St-Julien, St-Estèphe and Sauternes, plus some supermarket own-label options.
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Uncover hidden gems: Affordable Bordeaux and Burgundy wines for your Christmas feast
Decanter selected 14 Bordeaux and Burgundy wines for Christmas feasts, including sparkling, white, red and sweet styles from areas such as St-Julien, St-Estèphe, Beaujolais, Chablis and Sauternes.