Approximately 30 kilometers east of the metropolis of Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion is a true jewel among the wine-growing regions in Bordeaux. The region takes its name from the town of Saint-Émilion, which was founded by a hermit around 800 AD and, with its wildly romantic medieval charm, is now one of the biggest tourist magnets in the entire Bordelais. The plateau of Saint-Émilion, located high above the Dordogne, with this town, which was also one of the stops for pilgrims on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela, was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 because of its uniqueness. However, wine has been grown here since Roman times. Together with the neighboring small Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, which has around 5,700 hectares of vineyards, forms the heart or the pulse of the “Rive Droite”, the right bank of the mighty Gironde or the Dordogne river, which has also become known as Libournais because of the town of Libourne. The climate here in the eastern part of Bordeaux is much less maritime, and with larger temperature differences between day and night, it has at least partly continental characteristics. The terroir is diverse and ranges from limestone formations with clay limestone deposits to alluvium and gravel to gravel. Overall, the climate and soil here favor Merlot in contrast to many other regions in Bordeaux, which is why this variety dominates the cuvée here, usually supplemented by some Cabernet Franc. Due to the soil structure, there are very few chateaus that rely on a dominance of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon. Saint-Émilion received a not entirely uncomplicated classification in 1955, but in contrast to other classification models in Bordeaux it has a special feature: it is revised every 10 years and the chateaus have to apply again. These reclassifications have caused increasing resentment and dissatisfaction in the past, so that some extremely well-known chateaus have basically no longer taken part in them. However, if a bottle bears the imprint “Saint-Émilion Grand Cru” without the addition “Classé”, this has nothing to do with the classification. This addition is an origin; the chateaus in question must reapply for it every year. The real rise of Saint-Émilion wines actually only began in the 1970s, as interest in Bordeaux wines increased worldwide. But Chateau Cheval Blanc has long been home to one of the great legends of Bordelais. The 1947 Cheval Blanc is still considered the wine of the century and is one of the most sought-after rarities in the international wine world, provided you can afford the price for the few bottles still in existence. In addition to Chateau Cheval Blanc, highly valued and hotly traded chateaus include Chateau Angelus, Chateau Figeac, Chateau Ausone and Chateau Tertre Roteboeuf, to name just a few. Chateau Valandraud, a garage winery from the very beginning, was the first winery to be founded here in 1989 and coined the term “boutique winery” because of its minimalist production. The great wines of Saint-Émilion have immense ripeness and aging potential. But these wines are no longer available for little money. If you are still looking for wines for a smaller budget in the area, you will probably find what you are looking for in the so-called “satellites” of Saint-Émilion, neighboring regions such as Montagne-Saint-Émilion or Lussac-Saint-Émilion and others that are on the upswing and are likely to become more and more interesting in the future.
