Saint-Émilion
Maritime
A medieval hilltop town on the Dordogne and the heart of the Right Bank, making plush Merlot- and Cabernet Franc-based reds on limestone.
Overview
About Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, listed in 1999, and one of Bordeaux's most visited towns. Its reds are led by Merlot, with Cabernet Franc, and are generally rounder and more approachable earlier than Médoc wines. Cheval Blanc, unusually, has a very high proportion of Cabernet Franc.
The area divides into three soil zones: the limestone plateau and its steep slopes (côtes), and the sand-and-gravel plain below. Many estates are small, family-run properties, and Saint-Émilion also has its own classification, revised every decade or so.
Saint-Émilion is marked on the map.
France
Shaded: Gironde. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Maritime
Slightly drier and warmer than the Médoc, with less Atlantic influence. Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes the Right Bank less dependent on a late autumn.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Limestone on the plateau and slopes, giving structured wines; clay pockets that retain water for Merlot; and sand and gravel on the plain, which suits Cabernet Franc.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
Unlike the 1855 lists, the Saint-Émilion classification is revised roughly every ten years, so estates can move up or down. Some of the top estates have opted out of recent revisions.
Premier Grand Cru Classé A
The very top tier, a handful of estates at a time.
Premier Grand Cru Classé B
A larger group of leading estates.
Grand Cru Classé
Estates that meet the classification's standards, including tasting and terroir.
AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
A stricter appellation, with lower yields and longer ageing than plain Saint-Émilion.
What's grown here
Grapes
Each grape's page links back here.