Location and landscape
Saint-Émilion is in the Gironde department in the Bordeaux region, east of Libourne. The appellation area is bounded to the south by the Dordogne and to the north by the stream Barbanne. The town lies in a south-facing, amphitheatre-shaped valley between limestone plateaus, slopes, hollows and alluvial plains.
Soils and subsoil
The central plateau consists of tertiary Asterian limestone. In the surrounding area, sandy-silty limestone soils, clayey-calcareous soils, molasse, sandy deposits, gravelly elevations and alluvia of gravel, sand and silt are also found. Former limestone quarries under Saint-Émilion and the surrounding plateaus form a network of underground galleries, which are used in part as wine cellars.
Climate and wine growing
Saint-Émilion has a temperate oceanic climate with a somewhat more continental character. Rainfall is spread throughout the year; the Isle and the Dordogne have a balancing effect. The appellation is reserved for dry, still red wines. Merlot shapes the profile and is often blended with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The permitted grape varieties also include Carménère, Cot or Malbec, as well as Petit Verdot as an additional variety.
History
Wine growing was introduced during Roman times and intensified in the Middle Ages. In the 12th century, under English rule, Saint-Émilion became a jurisdiction; the Jurade received greater powers through the Charte de Falaise of 1199 and later privileges. Since 1999, the jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion has been listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as a historic wine-growing cultural landscape.
