Saint-Émilion || Bordeaux Wine Region || France

 

An aerial view of Saint-Émilion

St-ÉMILION is a charming small town on the right bank of the Dordogne River, 30 kilometers east of Bordeaux. The town was later formed in the Middle Ages on the limestone outcrop where it is reported that a hermit by the name of Emilion resided in a cave in the eighth century. This is where the town's beginnings may be discovered. Known as the Libournais, St-Émilion is one of three wine-producing areas north of the Dordogne (the other two districts being Pomerol and Fronsac). Libourne, a port on the Dordogne that is about 5 km west of St-Émilion, serves as the headquarters for the shipping businesses that carry Fronsac, Pomerol, and St-Émilion wines. The Dordogne merges with the Garonne River downstream of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde River.

Among the Bordeaux appellations, Medoc is arguably the most well-known today, yet St-Émilion was a wine area even before Medoc. The borders of St-Émilion were established in 1289 by Edward, King of England and Duke of Gascony, and they have remained essentially the same to this day. With a few notable exceptions, the St-Émilion producers did not gain international recognition until the Second World War.

Barely 5,200 hectares, or 5% of Bordeaux's total vineyard area, make up St-Émilion. It is barely 10 km long from east to west and 3.5 km broad at its widest point from north to south. There are many of tiny farmers with an average vineyard size of less than 5 ha, as opposed to the numerous big estates found in the Médoc. However, the percentage of exceptional vineyards is very large. Apart from the actual St-Émilion, there are also the so-called St-Emilion satellites, which consist of the 3,000 ha appellations of Puisseguin, Montagne, St-Georges, and Lussac. Here, grapes are not grown on the soil as heavily.

St-Émilion's geography is more varied, with a mix of low hills and flat plains, than the Médoc's wider and level landscape. The cleft in the limestone plateau directly south of the town is a significant topographical feature. It has produced slopes with easterly and southerly perspectives, which are referred to as the côtes. The best-rated vineyards of St-Émilion are typically located on the côtes, which are located between 60 and 80 meters above sea level, or on the 60 hectares of deep, gravelly soils that are close to the Pomerol border, which is located 5 kilometers west of the town at an elevation of 35 meters. There are several varieties of soil. The vineyards with the lowest quality rating are located on the flat terrain between the plateau and river, which makes up more than half of the entire region. This terrain is composed of a mixture of alluvial sands and gravels. In contrast, the côtes' soils are made of clays and loam that are produced from limestone.

St-Émilion ripens at somewhat higher temperatures and sooner than the Médoc because to its inland position. However, because of the broad Gironde Estuary and the lack of hills, the Atlantic Ocean's effect reaches well inland. This provides some protection from winter freeze and spring frost, however occasionally the weather can cause significant crop loss, as in April 1991. The MJT is 21.0°C, while the growing season day degrees and sunlight hours are 1,506 and 1,427, respectively. Melbourne, Victoria, and Denmark, Western Australia, are the most comparable Australian places in terms of the latter statistics. Rainfall throughout the growing season is 405 mm (54% of the total annual amount), which is little more than in the Australian sites listed before. June is considered a crucial month for potential yield since it is frequently chilly and rainy, which causes poor set, especially for Merlot. Additionally, bunch rot caused by severe rain during harvest might result in crop loss. The côtes benefit greatly from their south-facing slopes, which promote ripening and offer some shelter from frost.

Merlot is the predominant varietal, accounting for almost 60% of the planted area. Cabernet Sauvignon comes next in significance, followed by Cabernet Franc. Less than 15% of the land is planted to the latter, which needs the ideal settings to mature because it ripens and explodes later than Merlot or Cabernet Franc. Additionally, a tiny portion of Malbec exists (called locally as Cot). Typically, 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon are combined to create St-Émilion (encépagement). Nonetheless, some of the best locations—Chateau Figeac and Chateau Cheval Blanc, for example—have a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Panoramic view of Saint-Émilion

For more Wine Region blog articles Click Here!