Chateau Saint Paul Haut Medoc Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Saint Paul Haut Medoc with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, the history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux:Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Saint Paul History, Overview

Chateau Saint Paul started earning its reputation for quality after it was purchased by the Lacaze family. The owner splits his time between his activities. He is the number one supplier of candles sold in the famous, ancient town of Lourdes, in the Pyrenees, while he is also busy working at the estate as the winemaker.

Chateau Saint Paul, Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 21-hectare, Left Bank vineyard of Chateau Saint Paul is planted to 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. The vineyard has a vine density of 7,000 vines per hectare. The terroir is a mix of gravel and clay soils.

It’s interesting to note here that while the soils and the terroir can vary, the entire vineyard is in one solid parcel. The vines are on average kept at 25 years of age. The vineyard is located not far from Chateau Sociando Mallet and Chateau Charmail in the northern extremity of the appellation.

The estate was an underperformer in the Haut Medoc appellation until 2009. At that time, the decision was to improve the wines and the image of the chateau, so they brought in Stephane Derenoncourt as their consultant.

One of the first decisions made by the Derenoncourt team was a move to organic, sustainable, farming techniques. They also began to harvest later and use more, stringent standards in the selection of the grapes.

To produce the wine of Chateau Saint Paul, vinification takes place in a combination of traditional cement vats and stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels. The wine of Chateau Saint Paul is aged for the first two months on its lees.

The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months before bottling. The production of Chateau Saint Paul is on average 7,500 cases of wine per vintage. There is a second wine, Antognan de St. Paul.

The best vintages of Chateau Saint Paul are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2009 and 2005.

Chateau Saint Paul is producing some very nice, value-priced Bordeaux wines these days. The owner also makes wine in the St. Estephe appellation, Chateau Saint Pierre de Corbian.

When to Drink Chateau Citran, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Saint Paul can be decanted for an average of 1 hour or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau St. Paul is usually better with at least 2-4 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Citran offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 4-9 years of age after the vintage.

Serving and Decanting Chateau Saint Paul with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Saint Paul is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. The wine of Chateau Saint Paul is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.

Chateau Saint Paul is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.