Saint-Emilion

Often described as “the hill with a thousand chateaux” this region boasts over 800 winegrowers in total – only just falling short of its hyperbolic status. The oceanic climate is made more temperate by the cooling presence of the Dordogne. The fall is a sunny affair which is fantastic for optimal ripening.

The terroir is comprised of four major zones. The centre is a limestone plateau surrounded by terraces of chalk, clays and then silts. In the northwest of the region there is much sand, while in the south in the Dordogne valley there are airier soils of tiny stones and sand.

Given the above, the wines of Saint-Emillon vary a great deal from composed and intricate to powerful and dense, with the former being sourced from the south and the latter coming from the uncompromising limestone core of the region.
Cabernet Sauvignon, which drags its heels in terms of ripening, has little place here. Instead Merlot and Cabernet Franc take the fore at 60% and 30% of vines planted, respectively.

If it were possible to generalise these distinct wines it would be fair to say that they are, for the most part, warm, corpulent and vivid in colour. Flavours of plump red fruit berries with undertones of creamy vanilla, saddle-leather and soft spices are also to be found. This is layered with a velvet texture provided by solid yet supple tannins – giving an overall fleshiness.

Soils: Limestone, clay-limestone, gravels, chalks and silts.
Size: 5,500 hectares
Output: 36,000,000 bottles
Type of wine produced: Full-bodied reds, for the most part
Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc