St Emilion Wine & Wine Region: Great Reds & World Heritage Site

St Emilion wine is some of the best fine wine in the Bordeaux region. Find out more about this important French wine region, its classification system and great ideas for visiting.

The historical vineyards of St Emilion sit on the right bank of Dordogne river, to the south east of Pomerol and near the town of Libourne. This area has some of the most diverse soil of any wine region in Bordeaux.

The first wine growers association in France started in this region in 1884. The goal was to increase the production and quality of the wines in the region. In addition, they worked together to increase the promotion and sale of those high quality wines. This is just one of the many reasons this region is so popular today.

There are currently over 850 wine growers in this region.

Appellations and AOCs in St Emilion

There are two appellations in this region: St Emilion and St Emilion Grand Cru. The Grand Cru AOC is a higher quality wine than the standard St Emilion wine. The additional qualifications for St Emilion Grand Cru chateaux are:

• Maintain a higher minimum alcohol level of at least 11%
• Produce lower yields, which increases the quality of each grape harvested
• Receive approval of two official wine tasting panels

About 60% of the wine from this region is from the St Emilion AOC. The other 40% has the St Emilion Grand Cru certification.

Red Wines of St Emilion

As with most of the Bordeaux fine wine, all of the wine in this area is red wine. The region sits on the right bank of the river and that means the primary red in its Bordeaux blend is Merlot wine.

The region rounds out its blend with both Cabernet Franc wine and Malbec wine. Cabernet Sauvignon wine grows in a small area that borders Pomerol. This is the only area in the region with soil able to produce highly quality Cabernet Sauvignon.

Young wines from this region are fruity and luscious. Common aromas of the younger wines are usually of red and black fruits.

As the St Emilion wine ages, it becomes more complex. Common aromas for aged wines are spices, minerals and truffles.

The top recent vintages for this part of Bordeaux are 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2010. Both 2009 and 2010 are on sale as futures, which is a great way to buy high quality wine at a slightly lower price. Find additional tasting notes and pricing for St Emilion red wine online.

Classification of St Emilion Grand Cru

To rank the quality of red wine within the St Emilion Grand Cru AOC, the Conseil des Vins de Saint-Emilion (Wine Council of Saint Emilion) developed a classification system in 1955. They revised it in 1996 and again in 2006. The plan is to update it every ten years.

The classification system has two levels, with a sub-level for the top class:

• Premier Grand Cru Classe: A is the higher of the two sub-classes and there are just two chateaux in this sub-class. There are 13 chateaux in the B sub-class.
• Grand Cru Classe: There are 55 chateaux with this classification .

The Conseil des Vins de Saint-Emilion continually monitors the quality of the wine for this classification system. It also manages the quality of the other wines in both AOCs.

Historical Vineyards and UNESCO World Heritage Status

Not only does this area produce amazing wines, but is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The eight communes (or towns) in this region, along with the vineyards, are all part of the listing for the World Heritage site.

It is the first vineyard landscape accepted by UNESCO. I visited this area just a few months ago and it is one of the most beautiful places to go wine tasting.

Visit & Learn More About St Emilion Wine

If you ever get a chance to visit Bordeaux, I highly recommend spending some time in the St Emilion area. It is so beautiful, although a little crowded during the peak seasons. Here are just some of the things to do while you are there:

• Wine Tasting Classes: This is a great school in St Emilion that offers a variety of classes on the wine in the area. Choose from one hour, two hour, half day and full day classes. The best part is you also get to taste the wines during your class!



• Saint Emilion Wine House: Test the accuracy of your sniffer by doing a blind aroma test in the Saint Emilion Wine House. This was one of my favorite activities during our visit. The picture to the left is of me smelling one of the aromas and trying to guess the scent.
• Wine Tasting Caves: There are a large number of caves in this region. This is just one of the options for tasting St Emilion wine in a cave.
• Saint Emilion Train: Hop on the train for a unique look at the vineyards and history of this gorgeous Bordeaux fine wine region.
• Chateaux Open to the Public: There are a number of chateaux and some are open to the public for St Emilion wine tastings or are available by appointment. I found this great list, which gives more information on the chateaux open to the public and what they require before a visit.