Château
Château de La Bridane
15 hectares of Garonne gravel in Saint-Julien, whose wine has been bottled at the château since 1880, run by the Saintout family as independent winegrowers.
- Appellation
- Saint-Julien
- On Instagram
- @vignoblesbrunosaintout
The estate
La Bridane sits on gravel laid down by the Garonne, and it belongs to the Saintout family, who also own Château de Cartujac at Saint-Laurent-Médoc, where their oldest document dates from 1640; they count 12 generations. Alphonse Blancan first bottled the wine at the château in 1880, and the marriage of Pierre "Roger" Saintout and Madeleine Blancan in 1925 joined La Bridane to Cartujac. Bruno Saintout took over in 1984, modernized the equipment and brought the estate into the independent winegrowers’ movement, and Pierre Saintout, an agronomist and oenologist, joined in 2022 after 3 years at Hennessy.
The 2023 is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, fermented in stainless steel and concrete vats, each parcel apart since 2022, and aged 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels. The vineyard holds Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value, the French state’s environmental certification for farms) at level 3, and the consultants are Antoine Médeville and Pascal Chatonnet. Since 2022 the family has also made Les Trois Canons de la Bridane, a Saint-Julien from a historic parcel of 1.5 hectares brought back after 50 years, and it makes a Chardonnay and a rosé as Vin de France.
The 2019, which I tasted in February 2026, is Saint-Julien in its approachable form. Cabernet Sauvignon drives it, with cassis, graphite, cherries and firm tannins, and Merlot rounds the middle with measured generosity rather than softness: structured, composed, and built to be enjoyed early.
At a glance
- Appellation
- Saint-Julien
- Commune
- Saint-Julien-Beychevelle
- Classification
- No classification
- Owners
- The Saintout family
- Direction
- Bruno Saintout, since 1984; Pierre Saintout, since 2022
- Consultants
- Antoine Médeville and Pascal Chatonnet
- Vineyard
- 15 hectares
- Ground
- Garonne gravel
- Grapes
- The 2023: Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 30%, Petit Verdot 10%
- Farming
- Haute Valeur Environnementale, level 3
- Cellar
- Stainless steel and concrete vats, by parcel since 2022; 16 to 18 months in French oak
- Wines
- Château La Bridane; Les Trois Canons de la Bridane, since 2022; Chardonnay de la Bridane and a rosé, Vin de France
- The house
- Also Château de Cartujac, Haut-Médoc
Sources: Vignobles Saintout, the estate · Vignobles Saintout, our wines · Vignobles Saintout, the savoir-faire · Vignerons Indépendants, Château La Bridane · Guto Assumpção on Instagram, Château de La Bridane 2019, February 4, 2026
The record
Château de La Bridane is in the Saint-Julien appellation.
The 1855 Classification was published on April 18, 1855, drawn up by the brokers of the Bordeaux exchange for the Exposition Universelle in Paris.
Cru Classé
By invitation only.
Tastings
1
On from here
Test yourself on Saint-Julien · Found an error? Corrections