Appellation Bordeaux Saint-Emilion

This appellation refers to a wine-producing town in the Libourne district of Bordeaux. The town lies a few kilometres north of the Dordogne and is known for its beautiful buildings, its landscape and its wines. The vineyards of Saint-Emilion produce some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world. In this guide, we will review the history of the Bordeaux Saint-Emilion appellation, the terroir and the best wines of the region.

History and terroir of the Saint-Emilion appellation.

The narrow cobbled streets and the Romanesque church of the town of Saint-Emilion bear witness to the town's ancient history. Indeed, the vineyards around this town have existed since Roman times. The village is also a Unesco World Heritage Site and is home to the oldest vineyard in France. Saint-Emilion is divided into 9 communes or parishes. Today, the production of wines in the Saint-Emilion appellation represents 4% of the red wines produced in Bordeaux each year. This is also where you can find wines sold at huge prices such as Châteaux Cheval Blanc, Angélus, Ausone etc. Saint-Emilion also has a Grand Cru appellation. The Saint-Emilion appellation has a terroir made up of plots of clay-limestone, sandy and gravelly soil, plains and gentle slopes. The wine region covers 5565 ha of vineyards. The terroir varies a lot from one property to another in the Saint-Emilion wine estates. The best wines often come from the châteaux on the limestone-rich hills. The dominant grape varieties are Merlot and Cabernet Franc. But other grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec are also used in the production of wines of this appellation.

Our selection of wines about Bordeaux Saint-Emilion appellation

The classification system of Saint-Emilion wines has the same principle as the one of Medoc, Sauternes or Graves, but it has been updated recently in 2012 after its elaboration in 1855. The appellation has 82 AOC Saint-Emilion classified growths (64 Grands crus classés and 18 Premiers grands crus classés).