Saint-Emilion grand cru

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The winegrowing area sits on a limestone plateau overlooking the Dordogne to the south and bounded by the Barbanne stream to the north.
• A first line of steep slopes forms amphitheatre-shaped combes, and it is in one of them, south-facing, that the medieval town of Saint-Émilion was built, its ridge reaching an elevation of 100 metres.
• The heart of the vineyard rests on an astérie limestone plateau of Tertiary age, carrying thin calcareous soils of sandy-silty texture to the west, light clay-limestone soils to the east, and a fairly thick silty-clay cover in the centre.
• Around the plateau, the molasse known as the 'Fronsadais,' of Oligocene age, outcrops on slopes that are steeper to the south and west than to the north, and most often carries calcareous soils of clay-silt texture.
• Stone quarrying has left beneath Saint-Émilion and the surrounding plateaux a network of galleries estimated at around a hundred kilometres, frequently used as cellars thanks to a constant temperature of between 12 °C and 16 °C.
• The region enjoys the temperate oceanic climate of the Bordeaux area, though with a more continental character owing to its position to the east of the Gironde, and with marked Mediterranean nuances evidenced by the presence of holm oaks.
• The viticultural landscape, shaped by human hands over centuries, was inscribed in 1999 on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape.

• A decree of 7 October 1954 established a hierarchy of four appellations over the same territory, among them Saint-Emilion grand cru, with a first classification having taken place in 1955 and subsequently supplemented in 1958.
• The appellation Saint-Emilion grand cru is distinguished from Saint-Emilion by stricter production conditions, lower vine load and yields, greater grape maturity, and a longer élevage, resulting in wines of greater richness and longer ageing potential.

• The Merlot variety, which predominates by a wide margin, contributes to the wine its deep red colour, its alcoholic richness, and its aromatic complexity evoking ripe red and black fruits.
• The Cabernet franc variety lends the wine a lightly spiced aromatic finesse, freshness, and a more pronounced tannic structure.
• Cabernet-Sauvignon, less prominent in the blend, contributes spiced and complex notes and, through its tannic richness, encourages long cellaring and yields harmonious wines.
• Élevage, very commonly carried out in barrique, promotes the stabilisation of the wine's colour and structure and enriches its aromatic range.
• Wines produced under the Saint-Emilion grand cru appellation are deeply coloured, aromatic, concentrated, and rich, and are capable of long ageing.

• The diversity of soils combined with a mesoclimate highly favourable to vine cultivation endows the wines with richness and complexity.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 27 juillet 2023 publié au JORF du 5 août 2023, JORF 5 août 2023
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion