One of the famous six communes (along with Listrac-Médoc, Margaux, Moulis, Pauillac and Saint-Julien) within the French Haut-Médoc area that are appellations in their own right and are allowed to carry the commune name on the bottle label. It is the northernmost commune and covers around 1,380 hectares of vines just under 50 kilometres north of Bordeaux. The area is one of the oldest vineyards in the Médoc and dates back to the 13th century. Saint-Estèphe is located on the Gironde estuary and was an important port at the time. The loamy subsoil over a layer of ferruginous stone consists of clay, loam mixed with stones and lime. The soils are more fertile than in the southern municipalities. Besides the dominant variety Cabernet Sauvignon, there is a relatively high proportion of Merlot. The tannin-rich, colour-intensive, long-lasting red wines are characterised by more acidity than the other five.
Saint-Estèphe is home to "only" five of the total of 61 châteaux that were included in the Grand Cru list during the famous Bordeaux classification in 1855 (see the complete list under Médoc). These are Château Cos d'Estournel (2nd rank), Château Montrose (2nd rank), Château Calon-Ségur (3rd rank), Château Lafon-Rochet (4th rank) and Château Cos Labory (5th rank). There are also around 40 estates classified as Cru Bourgeois and many as Cru Artisan. These include, for example, Château Capbern-Gasqueton, Château de Pez, Château Haut-Marbuzet, Château Laffitte-Carcasset, Château Les Ormes-de-Pez, Château Meyney and Château Phélan-Ségur.
Map: By Domenico-de-ga from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, link.
Modifications from the original by Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer 2017
