St Julien has turned in a super set of wines in 2025. These are somewhat classic vins de garde in the sense that they will all need a bit of time in bottle, but a great future seems assured. These are structured and intense wines with lots of extract and density. The overall quality level is very high. The picks for me amongst a very impressive bunch at the UGCB were Château Gruaud Larose, Château Léoville Barton and Château Léoville Poyferré but super wines have also been made at Château Saint-Pierre and Château Talbot. Château Lagrange and Château Langoa Barton are also impressive but need a decade in the cellar at least I reckon. Château Beychevelle was less coquettish than usual but has a good seam of fruit with freshness and will settle during élevage.

St Julien in 2019 is a study in consistency and finesse. These have been stylish and impressive wines from the start, but are beginning to hit their stride. Nine wines were shown by the MW Institute back in late 2023. The major omissions were Château Ducru Beaucaillou and Château Léoville Las Cases [normally shown at this annual tasting]. Otherwise, all the top crus classés were represented. The wines from Château Gruaud Larose, Château Léoville Barton and Château Léoville Poyferré impressed the most, but there are excellent wines too from Château Branaire-Ducru, Château Lagrange, Château Langoa Barton, Château St Pierre and Château Talbot. On the day Château Beychevelle was lush and polished but it lacked a bit of grip and freshness compared to the others. The blend at Beychevelle is Merlot dominant, while the other St Juliens tasted were all significantly Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, which might explain this stylistic difference.

St Julien has put in a very strong performance in 2018. This is a relatively small and very consistent appellation and the terroirs here have clearly succeeded in this tricky, unusual vintage. At the very top of the quality tree are the Léovilles [in a line-up sans Ducru]. Château Léoville Las Cases is tremendous but Château Léoville Poyferré and Château Léoville Barton are close behind. Château Gruaud Larose is almost on an equal footing and has made impressive wine. Château Lagrange, Château Langoa Barton and Château Branaire-Ducru are also very impressive. Château Beychevelle shows lots of finesse and Château Talbot continues its good run of decent form. Buy any of these and you will not be disappointed.

These notes from the MW Institute Tasting back in December 2021 are long overdue on the blog. Let’s just say I’ve been a bit side tracked. My impression with a lot of top drawer crus classés 2016s tasted more recently [ie in the intervening twenty months!] is that they remain a little closed. While this isn’t true of the Haut-Médoc properties [or many in St Emilion and Pomerol which are now coming into their own], it is true of St Julien. Undoubtedly 2016 is a classic vintage in St Julien. There is great precision and depth across the board and the wines are very impressive. The picks of the tasting? Chateau Léoville Las Cases was fantastic with profound depth and structure. Not that far behind was Château Léoville Barton and Château St Pierre. I was especially impressed with efforts from Château Branaire Ducru, Château Lagrange and Château Talbot, though there was great consistency shown across all the wines. Top châteaux Ducru Beaucaillou and Léoville Poyferré weren’t shown.