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Map›Bordeaux›Saint-Émilion

Bordeaux · Sub-regions

Saint-Émilion

Medieval town (UNESCO World Heritage) and the right bank's largest quality appellation. Merlot and Cabernet Franc on limestone plateau and côtes yield velvety, warm wines of plum, cherry and truffle. Its own classification (since 1955, regularly revised) crowned by the Premiers Grands Crus Classés.

172Wineries

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Grape Varieties

Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon

Most Famous Site

Château Ausone

Vineyard Area

5.400 ha

TERROIR PROFILE · Bordeaux

Saint-Émilion Limestone-plateau Merlot

Saint-Émilion: Merlot on limestone — velvet with a mineral spine.

☀ Maritime⛰ Slope: mixedMerlotCabernet FrancCabernet Sauvignon

What is terroir? →

SOILS

Limestoneprecise, mineral

Limestone delivers tension, structure and a cooler, more mineral character.

Loambody-rich, velvety

Loamy soils give wines volume and a soft, velvety mouthfeel.

Gravel / Sandlight, approachable

Gravel and sand drain heavily — vines struggle for water, wines turn fine, light and elegant.

Sandaromatic, approachable

Loose sand and wind-blown sand warm up quickly and hold little water — they give aromatic, early-drinking wines with soft tannins; phylloxera-resistant.

CLIMATE · Maritime

Oceanic climate, somewhat more continental than on the left bank, farther from the Atlantic, with warmer late summers. Merlot ripens reliably here, and Cabernet Franc reaches full expression in good years. Spring frost is a risk on lower parcels.

TOPOGRAPHY · mixed

Limestone plateau (asteriated limestone) around the medieval town, steep limestone slopes (côtes) around and east of the town towards the plain, a sandy-gravelly plateau in the west on the border with Pomerol, and the sandy-gravelly plain of the Dordogne. The relief is strikingly lively for Bordeaux.

WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS

plum & cherrytruffle with agevelvety tanninwarm & generouschalky freshness from the plateau

Typical Flavours of the Region

Region aroma cloud

PlumBlack cherryChocolateTruffleCedarVioletRaspberryRedcurrantBell pepperGraphitePencil shavingsBlackcurrantBlackberryCedarwoodLeatherTobacco

→ Aroma wheel and variety profiles

Bordeaux overview

This sub-region is part of Bordeaux. The map shows all 23 sub-regions — Saint-Émilion is highlighted.

Overview

Wineries172

Detailed profiles102

Typical Varieties

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon

Terroir & Climate

Wine Character

Saint-Émilion lies on the right bank of the Dordogne east of Libourne, around the medieval town of the same name, whose jurisdiction has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Besides the town the appellation covers communes such as Saint-Hippolyte, Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes and Vignonet, and it borders Pomerol to the west. The vines are spread over a limestone plateau, steep slopes (côtes) and lower terraces.

The bedrock is limestone, covered by only a thin layer of clay on the plateau around the town (asteriated limestone); on the côtes limestone marl and clay join in, while in the west on the Pomerol border gravel and sand soils carry, among others, Cheval Blanc and Figeac. The climate is oceanic; the Atlantic, the Gironde and the Dordogne temper temperatures, and rainfall is spread across the year.

Merlot dominates, followed by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are round, dark-fruited and marked by a limestone freshness. Since 1955 Saint-Émilion has had its own classification, revised at regular intervals; well-known estates include Château Ausone, Château Pavie and Château Figeac.

Soil Type

Asteriated limestone plateau around the town (mineral freshness), clay slopes (richness) and gravel on the Pomerol border (Cheval Blanc, Figeac)

Climate

Oceanic, tempered by the Atlantic, Gironde and Dordogne; the limestone plateau warms early and suits the early-ripening Merlot.

Top sites & producers

7 sites

The most important classified single vineyards in the region. Classification per VDP (German Prädikat Wine Estates Association) and traditional vineyard registers.

By place (7)

Saint-Émilion7 entries

Château AngélusChâteau AusoneChâteau CanonChâteau Cheval BlancChâteau FigeacChâteau PavieChâteau Troplong Mondot

Sources: VDP, state vineyard registers, Wikipedia vineyard articles, traditional vineyard literature.

Top profiles

102 detailed profiles — all filterable in the list below

Château Cheval Blanc

Saint-Émilion · Saint-Émilion

Saint-Émilion

Saint-Émilion Limestone-plateau Merlot

Typical Flavours of the Region

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon

Bordeaux overview

Overview

Typical Varieties

Terroir & Climate

Wine Character

Soil Type

Climate

Top sites & producers

By place (7)

Top profiles

Château Cheval Blanc

Château Ausone

Château Figeac

Château Angélus

Château Pavie

Château TrotteVieille

All Wineries

Château Ausone

Château Cheval Blanc

Château Angélus

Château Figeac

Château Pavie

Château TrotteVieille

Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot

Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse

Château Bélair-Monange

CHÂTEAU CANON LA GAFFELIÈRE

Château Larcis Ducasse

Château Troplong Mondot

Château Valandraud

Clos Fourtet

Château Canon

Château La Mondotte

Château Badette

Château Balestard la Tonnelle

Events in Bordeaux

Bordeaux Tasting

Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants Strasbourg

Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants Bordeaux

Semaine des Primeurs Bordeaux

Portes Ouvertes en Saint-Émilion

Fête de la Fleur

Frequently Asked Questions

Which estates and communes belong to Saint-Émilion?

What makes Saint-Émilion special as a town and wine region?

What is the climate like in Saint-Émilion?

Which grape varieties define Saint-Émilion?

How many wineries are there in Saint-Émilion?

Which is the most famous vineyard in Saint-Émilion?

All wineries in Saint-Émilion, A to Z

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