St-Émilion, a town of outstanding beauty. The first wine area to be awarded the title of a UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the appellation for some of the worlds’ greatest wines.
Located on the right bank of the river Garonne the appellation specialises in red wines from the grape varieties Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
The Grapes:
The wines of St-Émilion are produced mainly from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This is the opposite of the Médoc where Cabernet Sauvignon is the key grape variety.
The Wine styles:
The wines of St-Émilion are generally complex and elegant. The fruit is balanced between floral red and black fruit flavours, including raspberries, plums, cherries, blackberries and figs. These fresh fruit flavours become more dried with age. French oak barrel ageing is extremely common adding flavours of vanilla, toast, nutmeg and cedar to the wine. The St-Émilion wines have great ageing potential. This can range from 3-10 years with around 5-15 years being the most common. The aged wines have complex tertiary flavour of chocolate, leather, tobacco. Often they develop meaty notes, wet leaves or forest floors which might not sound appetising but they are extremely sought after characteristics.
Structurally, these are bold but elegant red wines. Producers try hard to get the grapes to ripen otherwise the wine has ‘green’ astringent tannins. The best wines will have a long developing finish with high but balanced acidity.
The Soils of St-Émilion.
The type of soil is an incredibly important factor for the wines of St-Émilion. The different soil types include sand, limestone, clay and gravel and each type alters the composition of the grapes. The end result is wines that range from richer, heavier and more tannic to lighter more floral wines.
Many of the highest rated vineyards are located on the limestone hillsides within the boundaries of the town or on soils with a greater gravel content much closer to the neighbouring Pomerol appellation.
The Classification System
Unlike the rest of Bordeaux, the forward-thinking St-Émilion appellation is open to altering the properties position in the classification system approximately every ten years. It started in 1955, one-hundred years later than the Medoc. While many believe this is a brilliant way to keep the quality of the appellation high it isn’t without its controversy!
There are two classifications systems in St-Émilion which cover the same area. These are St-Émilion AOC and St-Émilion Grand Cru AOC. The difference between the two appellations is the quality control regulations. These regulations include restrictions on yield aimed at producing more concentrated wines and compulsory oak barrel ageing. The wines of St-Émilion Grand Cru AOC are typically more expensive and can often age longer than the general St-Émilion AOC.
Within St-Émilion Grand Cru AOC a smaller number of properties are classified as St-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé. This higher level is further split into A and B, with only the four best Chateaux currently holding the esteemed A status.
The Chateaux with A status are; Château Cheval Blanc, Château Ausone, Château Pavie and Château Angélus.
Garage wines.
St-Émilion is also where the garage wines trend first started. The term ‘garage’ covers tiny estates, so tiny the wines could be produced in a garage! The producers focus on using high-quality grapes from small plots with low yields matched with modern winemaking practices to create less traditional wines.
The garage movement was lead by Jean-Luc Thunevin, who is considered to be the greatest ‘garagiste’ at his home property Valandraud. Garage wines offer a different side to St-Émilion and showcase the versatility of the appellation.
