The Three Leovilles

They may have their own identities but, as Jane Anson discovers, the unique trio of châteaux that form the magical Léoville estate in Bordeaux also have much in common

THE ST-JULIEN APPELLATION might not be in possession of a first-growth château, but that really doesn’t seem to hold it back unduly. It manages all the same to be among the most alluring stretches of land in Bordeaux, running from the Juillac stream to the north that serves as the tiny border (you could wade across it in pretty much one step) between St-Julien and Pauillac, down 5km southwards to the Jalle du Nord. The area is noted for its extremely regular and deep Günzian gravel dating from the last ice age, when woolly mammoths roamed and the continents finally settled into their current positions.

Within the northern stretches of the appellation, covering a full 228ha (hectares) of land, are three estates that share one powerful name: Léoville. When you drive through here, the land looks almost flat. You have to walk down to the bottom of the vineyards near to the Garonne river and look back up towards the D2 road to realise just how far this is from the truth; these are serious slopes, billowing up like freshly washed sheets.

René Pijassou in his 1978 treatise Le Médoc wrote that ‘all the terroirs of St-Julien are remarkable… but the best are those located on the river’s edge, because of the steep slopes that offer excellent drainage’. The Léoville plateau has long been recognised as one of the very best spots on the whole of the Left Bank for producing long-living, complex and powerful wines. The gravel here can be as deep as 10m in some places, with excellent drainage potential.

As Léoville-Las Cases owner Jean-Hubert Delon says: ‘There are not many great Cabernet Sauvignon terroirs, even in the Médoc. But you know one when you see it, and you can unquestionably taste it in the wine.’