Saint-Émilion

Saint-Émilion is an appellation and key wine town in the Libournais district of Bordeaux's Right Bank. It is important for both the quality and production volume of its red wines, which are almost always based on Merlot.

The most searched-for Saint-Émilion wine on our database is Château Cheval Blanc.

There have vineyards around Saint-Émilion since Roman times, and today the Saint-Émilion wine appellation is one of the most prolific in the Bordeaux region, generating more than 250,000hl of wine each vintage. It is also responsible for some of the most prestigious, long-lived and expensive wines in the world.

Wines such as Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Figeac and Pavie, sell for hundreds of dollars per bottle, are all situated in and around Saint-Émilion. Only red wine qualifies for the appellation; a little dry white wine is made within the appellation borders, but it must be labeled as Bordeaux Blanc. (© Wine-Searcher)

Saint-Émilion town

The town lies just a few miles north of the Dordogne, in the final stages of the river's journey from the hills of the Massif Central to the Gironde estuary. It is renowned as much for its beautiful buildings and scenery as for its wine. Its steep, narrow, cobbled streets, overlooked by its Romanesque church and the iconic 13th-century Tour du Roy tower are a reminder of the town's long history.

Grape varieties

Unlike the wines of the Médoc (which focus heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon), Saint-Émilion wines are predominantly made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The other traditional Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Petit Verdot and Malbec) are permitted for use here, but are rarely used to any significant extent.

This is not so much a question of taste and style as one of terroir; the clay and chalk rich soils around Saint-Émilion are generally cooler than those on the Médoc peninsula, and are less capable of ripening Cabernet Sauvignon reliably. Merlot makes up around two thirds of vines planted around Saint-Émilion, and continues to increase in popularity because of the softer, more approachable wine styles it produces.

There are two notable exceptions to this: Château Cheval Blanc, where Cabernet Franc occupies 58 percent of the vineyard area, and Château Figeac, where Merlot, Cabernet Franc and (more unusually) Cabernet Sauvignon enjoy equal representation in both vineyard and wine.

On the whole, the prevalence of Merlot in Saint-Émilion means that its wines are approachable at an earlier age than their more astringent, tannin-rich cousins from the Médoc. This is a key factor in their appeal and popularity in markets all around the world, and particularly in the United States.

Vineyard soils

Geologically speaking, Saint-Émilion can be divided into three main vineyard areas. The most significant is the limestone plateau on which Saint-Émilion town is located, and the slopes around it. Most of the very top vineyards and châteaux are located here, within a mile of the town (Cheval Blanc and Figeac again provide two notable exceptions to the rule).

Immediately south of the limestone plateau is the alluvial, sandy plain which slopes gently down to the banks of the Dordogne. Few wines of any note are produced here, and none of the Grand Cru Classe properties are located here.

In the northwestern corner of the Saint-Émilion area is an ancient alluvial terrace, formed by glacial activity at the very beginning of the Quaternary period roughly 2 million years ago. This boasts the same free-draining 'gunzian' gravels as are found in the best properties of the Graves and Médoc. The two most famous châteaux here (Cheval Blanc and Figeac) are consequently able to grow and ripen both Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This terrace – known as the Graves de Saint-Émilion – continues westwards into neighboring Pomerol. It underpins the vineyards of such revered estates as Le Pin and Petrus.

Saint-Émilion satellites

Saint-Émilion has four satellite areas: Lussac-Saint-Émilion, Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion, Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion and Montagne-Saint-Émilion. These cover distinct, slightly smaller areas immediately northeast of Saint-Émilion proper, and each has its own independent appellation title.

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Saint-Émilion also has a Grand Cru appellation (Saint-Émilion Grand Cru), which imposes slightly tighter production restrictions. This has been the subject of much criticism since its introduction in 1954, as the restrictions are widely viewed as being too loose to warrant the use of the Grand Cru title, and twice as much Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wine is made each year than regular Saint-Émilion.

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé

The Saint-Émilion Wine Classification system does - in theory - perform the task of marking out the area's top-tier wines. This works in much the same as the classifications of the Médoc, Graves and Sauternes, but is periodically reviewed. It was first drawn up in 1955, and (after a controversial review in 2006) was most recently updated in 2022.

On the other hand, ongoing arguments over philosophy have meant that Angélus, Ausone and Cheval Blanc - three of the four existing top-ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé A estates - decided to withdraw from the 2022 classification. This left one, Pavie, to be joined by the promoted Figeac.