TERROIR PROFILE
Saint-Émilion
Limestone-plateau Merlot
Saint-Émilion: Merlot on limestone — velvet with a mineral spine.
Climate, site & wine
On the limestone plateau and the côtes, fresh, mineral-marked wines are produced, rounder and fuller on clay slopes; the gravel and sand soils of the plateau on the border with Pomerol bring fragrance and structure. Merlot dominates, Cabernet Franc adds spice and freshness.
The wines are dark-fruited with plum, cherry and truffle, velvety in tannin, firmer and age-worthy in the best sites. The style combines fullness with chalky freshness.
TERROIR PROFILE · Bordeaux
Saint-Émilion Limestone-plateau Merlot
Saint-Émilion: Merlot on limestone — velvet with a mineral spine.
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
Similar terroirs worldwide
Computed from fingerprint similarity
Pessac-Léognan
Bordeaux
96% similar
- Minerality (slightly): Saint-Émilion is more mineral → salty-stony notes, more tension (6 vs. 5).
Mittelhaardt
Palatinate
94% similar
- Warmth (slightly): Saint-Émilion is warmer → riper fruit, more alcohol, softer acidity (7 vs. 6).
- Body (slightly): Saint-Émilion gives more body → fuller, more powerful wines (8 vs. 7).
Wineries on this terroir
See all 172 →Château Cheval Blanc
Saint-Émilion
Renown 93/100
Château Ausone
Saint-Émilion
Renown 93/100
Château Figeac
Saint-Émilion
Renown 91/100
Château Angélus
Saint-Émilion
Renown 91/100
Château Pavie
Saint-Émilion
Renown 91/100
Château TrotteVieille
Saint-Émilion
Renown 86/100
Château Valandraud
Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
Renown 85/100
CHÂTEAU CANON LA GAFFELIÈRE
Saint-Émilion
Renown 85/100
This terroir's soils in the glossary