When to drink a Saint-Julien?
Bordeaux · indicative values: the producer, the vintage and storage conditions come first.
Saint-Julien
Red: the drinking window
Recommended ageing: 8 to 25 years after the vintage.
For example, a 2020 Saint-Julien drinks best between 2028 and 2048, with a peak plateau around 2035-2044.
Vintage by vintage
A great year outlives an average one: the window moves with the vintage. The most recent rated years in Bordeaux, applied to the ageing for Saint-Julien given above.
| Vintage | Rating | Drink |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Great | 2031–2051 |
| 2022 | Outstanding | 2030–2052 |
| 2021 | Good | 2029–2046 |
| 2020 | Great | 2028–2048 |
| 2019 | Outstanding | 2027–2049 |
| 2018 | Outstanding | 2026–2048 |
| 2017 | Good | 2025–2042 |
| 2016 | Outstanding | 2024–2046 |
| 2015 | Outstanding | 2023–2045 |
| 2014 | Great | 2022–2042 |
| 2013 | Drink up | 2020–2031 |
| 2012 | Good | 2020–2037 |
The full history, back to the older vintages: Red Bordeaux.
How to read this window
Before the window opens, the wine is in its youth: fruit dominates, tannins or acidity can feel stern. During the peak plateau, everything falls into balance: this is the moment ageing prepares. Beyond it, the wine slowly declines: nothing unsafe, but the emotion fades. These are general benchmarks for the appellation, not a verdict on your bottle.
Curious where these numbers come from? The method is published in full: five levels from the estate down to the grape, corrected by the vintage and the bottle format.
Which dishes?
The classic pairings where Saint-Julien is one of the safe bets:
From the same region
Other appellations in Bordeaux, each with its own window:
What about your bottles?
Caviste computes this window for every bottle in your cellar: photograph the label, the sheet fills itself in (estate, vintage, appellation) and the app tells you when a bottle reaches its peak. Discover Caviste.
