The renowned St Emilion wine makers are situated in a Bordeaux wine region. What is unusual about its history is its Roman era lineage. There is a nicely maintained medieval village near the vineyards. Together the area was awarded a World Heritage designation from UNESCO in 1999.
There is an ancient hermitage around which the village developed. The hermitage was established by a monk. The village and the appellation bear his name. The beautiful landscape of this area has predominant cliffs carved from limestone. The rocky terrain here gives a distinguishing trait to each vintage. There are mainly four types of terrain on which the grapes are grown.
On the limestone slopes by the village a majority of the top wines are produced. Lesser wines are made from grapes grown by the rover bank where there is a alluvial sand plain. On the western side of the locality, the aeolian sand plateau also makes fine samples. Beyond this plateau are acres of gravel. Leading properties such as the Chateaus Cheval Blanc and Figeac can be found here. Both use cabernet franc in their wines. In addition, cabernet sauvignon is added to Figeac, which for this reason is known as the most Medoc like of this appellation.
The quick developing merlot is main grape used in this area. The cool climate produces a superior merlot hard to match in warmer regions. Heat ripens the grapes more quickly and produces an inferior result. When the ripening process is slowed, the quality of the product is improved. This is why more discriminating palates prefer the producers of this area.
Chateau Canon, Cheval Blanc, Chateau Angelus and Clos Fourtet are some of the celebrated products. These wines are produced in a small area. The average size of a vineyard is five hectares with about 2,000 estates situated around 14,000 acres to the east of the Dordogne River. There are a number of smaller producers that create quality products that fit reduced budgets. The key to making a good choice is to know the vintage and its producer.
September 2012 was a landmark for the winemakers. This was the month for the classifications announcement. As oenophiles are aware, rankings are revised in each decade. The revisions can ruffle feathers. On this occasion, fewer were made unhappy than was the case under the litigated 2006 classification. The result was that the prior classification was invalidated.
Six years after lawsuits were filed, the Institut regulating appellations in France announced the new ranking. This time, all but one of the top chateaux that were demoted qualified. Only the Chateau La Tour du Pin Figeac was left out in the cold. In total, 82 were awarded either the Premier Grand Cru Classe or Grand Cru Classe ranks. This was the biggest amount since 1969, when 84 won either of these top designations. The major change on top was first time inclusion of the Chateaus Pavie and Angelus in Premier Grand Cru Classe A estates. La Mondotte, Larcis Ducasse, Valandraud and Canon La Gaffelier were also promoted to this rank.
To coincide with the Vinexpo wine fair in Bordeaux, a dinner is arranged every two years by the association of the leading estates. Old and new vintages from each member is served with meals put together by well regarded chefs. You can also visit anytime. The vintners are happy to receive visitors. The prudent thing to do is to call before your visit to any St Emilion wine making property.
There is an ancient hermitage around which the village developed. The hermitage was established by a monk. The village and the appellation bear his name. The beautiful landscape of this area has predominant cliffs carved from limestone. The rocky terrain here gives a distinguishing trait to each vintage. There are mainly four types of terrain on which the grapes are grown.
On the limestone slopes by the village a majority of the top wines are produced. Lesser wines are made from grapes grown by the rover bank where there is a alluvial sand plain. On the western side of the locality, the aeolian sand plateau also makes fine samples. Beyond this plateau are acres of gravel. Leading properties such as the Chateaus Cheval Blanc and Figeac can be found here. Both use cabernet franc in their wines. In addition, cabernet sauvignon is added to Figeac, which for this reason is known as the most Medoc like of this appellation.
The quick developing merlot is main grape used in this area. The cool climate produces a superior merlot hard to match in warmer regions. Heat ripens the grapes more quickly and produces an inferior result. When the ripening process is slowed, the quality of the product is improved. This is why more discriminating palates prefer the producers of this area.
Chateau Canon, Cheval Blanc, Chateau Angelus and Clos Fourtet are some of the celebrated products. These wines are produced in a small area. The average size of a vineyard is five hectares with about 2,000 estates situated around 14,000 acres to the east of the Dordogne River. There are a number of smaller producers that create quality products that fit reduced budgets. The key to making a good choice is to know the vintage and its producer.
September 2012 was a landmark for the winemakers. This was the month for the classifications announcement. As oenophiles are aware, rankings are revised in each decade. The revisions can ruffle feathers. On this occasion, fewer were made unhappy than was the case under the litigated 2006 classification. The result was that the prior classification was invalidated.
Six years after lawsuits were filed, the Institut regulating appellations in France announced the new ranking. This time, all but one of the top chateaux that were demoted qualified. Only the Chateau La Tour du Pin Figeac was left out in the cold. In total, 82 were awarded either the Premier Grand Cru Classe or Grand Cru Classe ranks. This was the biggest amount since 1969, when 84 won either of these top designations. The major change on top was first time inclusion of the Chateaus Pavie and Angelus in Premier Grand Cru Classe A estates. La Mondotte, Larcis Ducasse, Valandraud and Canon La Gaffelier were also promoted to this rank.
To coincide with the Vinexpo wine fair in Bordeaux, a dinner is arranged every two years by the association of the leading estates. Old and new vintages from each member is served with meals put together by well regarded chefs. You can also visit anytime. The vintners are happy to receive visitors. The prudent thing to do is to call before your visit to any St Emilion wine making property.
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