Château Saint Julian Bordeaux Superior (Organic) 2016 ~ Bordeaux, France

Organic

1 Star - Le Guide Hachette des Vins
2 Stars - Le Guide Hachette des Vins (2015 vintage)
Concours de Bordeaux Vins d'Aquitaine, 2012: Argent
Le Guide Hachette des Vins, 2010: 1 Star
Concours de Bordeaux Vins d'Aquitaine, 2009: Bronze

Harmon Skurnik "This is one of the finest values in Bordeaux, showing depth and purity to its classical frame."

Jim English "Certified Organic Bordeaux from the Entre-Deux-Mers consisting of 30+-year-old vines grown on a clay and limestone soils. 100% hand-harvested, then made with indigenous yeast, fermented in concrete, and then aged in barrel (20% new). Notes of blackcurrant, mint, sandalwood, vanilla, & dark purple fruit."

Reverse Wine Snob "..Fantastique!.... An earthy aroma that also features some dark fruit, lots of dried herbs and a little mint and cola. The wine tastes really delicious with the dark fruit taking center stage in the mouth but still balanced by some nice earthy streaks. Those hints of dried herbs from the nose carry over and you’ll also find some oaky licorice notes. All of this is wrapped up in a very smooth, almost creamy texture. It ends dry with a mineral-tinged finish featuring lingering cola and licorice notes under more of that delicious dark fruit." (2010 vintage)

Reverse Wine Snob "you may be wondering about the “Superieur” designation on this wine, which is exactly as it sounds — a label given to wines that have slightly more stringent production regulations than the regular Bordeaux wines.....the Bordeaux Superieur wines tend to come from older vines with lower yields and they spend more time aging before their release."

The Winemaker "While the image of Bordeaux is formed by the prestige of the Classified Growths of the Medoc and Haut Medoc, the region offers many small, quality-driven family-owned properties from the satellite appellations along the banks of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. My ‘Bordeaux Collection’ represents the fine work of dedicated winemakers crafting wines from these lesser-known areas. Discover the delicious, food-friendly and great value wines from these wonderful regions."

73% Merlot & 27% Cabernet Sauvignon

Chateau Saint Julian is the second wine made by the winemakers who from the remarkable Chateau La Grangere in St. Emilion. This Ecocert certified organic wine is made from mostly Merlot grown on limestone slopes in the Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux with an average age of 30 years. All of the grapes are hand-harvested and aged in barrique, with about 30% new barrels. The owner of this estate also owns the prestigious Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – the Château La Grangère – and a Graves de Vayres – the Château Tillede.

Entre-Deux-Mers is a large wine sub-region of Bordeaux in southwestern France. Its name translates literally as "between two seas", although the seas in question are in fact rivers – the Garonne and Dordogne, which respectively form the area's southern and northern boundaries. Entre-Deux-Mers is home to various appellations, which produce wines in styles ranging from the sweet botrytized whites of Cadillac, Loupiac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont – all close to the northeast bank of the Garonne – to the dry table wines of Sainte-Foy and Graves de Vayres, closer to the Dordogne. The extended region along the Garonne, from the cluster of sweet white appellations as far as the area to the east of Bordeaux city, is the red wine appellation Côtes de Bordeaux – until 2009 called Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, a title now reserved for sweet whites.

A Bordeaux Blend is any combination of those grape varieties typically used to make the red wines of Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon is widely accepted as a compulsory component of any Bordeaux Blend along with Merlot. In fact, the majority of Bordeaux Blend wines are often made exclusively from a blend of these two varieties. The remaining components are Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.