Coming from Pauillac you can reach the northernmost top appellation of the Haut-Médoc – Saint-Estèphe via the “Route des Grand Crus”. One of the best and most famous chateaus in Bordeaux greets the traveler from afar, the Chateau Cos d'Estournel, which has almost become something of a landmark of Saint-Estèphe with its Asian-style architecture and its pagoda towers. You won't find any 1er Crus here; of the over 50 chateaus producing wine here, just 5 wineries were included in the 1855 classification as Cru Classés. The most famous among them is undoubtedly the already mentioned Chateau Cos d'Estournel, whose wines experts and critics attest to the quality of the iconic 1er Crus. With Chateau Montrose and Chateau Phélan-Ségur, two other chateaus have thrown their hat into the ring in the fight for the crown of St.-Estèphe; the first-mentioned chateau in particular repeatedly scratches the magical limit of 100 points with its wines. A pioneer of viticulture not only in St.-Estèphe but in Bordeaux in general is Chateau Meyney, located in the southeast of the region, which significantly developed the viticulture introduced by the Romans here from the 13th century onwards. Today there are around 1,250 hectares under vines in St.-Estèphe, with Cabernet Sauvignon dominating over Cabernet Franc and Merlot. However, with regard to the terroir of St.-Estèphe, experts attest to the region's greater suitability for the earlier-ripening Merlot, which triggered the trend of adding a higher proportion of this grape variety to the wines in order to soften or dampen the characteristics of the wines, which were previously perceived as somewhat strict and repellent. The climate between the Atlantic and the mouth of the mighty Gironde is mild, the soil consists of rock, mostly coarse gravel or quartzite, with a layer of clay. The clay in particular offers Merlot ideal conditions, as Pomerol, which is much further east, proves. The pebble base also offers perfect water drainage. Depending on the rock formation, this terroir is between 650,000 and 300,000 years old. In addition to the wineries mentioned, Chateau Cos-Labory, Chateau Les Ormes de Pez and the Cru Bourgeois Chateau Beau-Site also enjoy a great international reputation.
The best wines from St. Estèphe
France
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Best wines from this region
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2025 Château Montrose
Château Montrose
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
13%
100
2018 Château Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
14,5%
100
1990 Château Montrose
Château Montrose
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
13%
100
2025 Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
13,25%
99
2022 Château Montrose
Château Montrose
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
14,5%
99
2022 Château Cos d’Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
98
2022 Château Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
14%
98
2018 Château Montrose
Château Montrose
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
14,5%
98
2010 Château Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
98
2009 Château Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
14,5%
98
2025 Château Calon Ségur
Château Calon Ségur
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
13,6%
97
2022 Château Calon Ségur
Château Calon Ségur
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
15%
97
2018 Château Calon-Ségur
Château Calon Ségur
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
15%
97
2016 Château Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
97
2016 Château Montrose
Château Montrose
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
97
2014 Château Montrose
Château Montrose
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
97
2010 Château Montrose
Château Montrose
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
97
2023 Château Calon Ségur
Château Calon Ségur
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
15%
96
2022 Château Calon-Ségur
Château Calon Ségur
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
96
2020 Château Montrose
Château Montrose
Bordeaux,
France
Red Wine
14,5%
96
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