Saint-Émilion AOC



Saint-Émilion is an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of France, where it is situated in the Libourne subregion on the right bank of the Dordogne. As a cultural landscape demonstrating a long, living history of wine-making (dating from Roman times), Saint-Émilion was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Its 5400 ha represent 67.5% of the total area of wine-producing communes (Saint-Émilion, Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, Saint-Hippolyte, Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, Saint-Pey-d’Armens, Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, Vignonet, and a part of the Libourne commune) and 6% of the total Bordeaux vineyard.

The wines of Saint-Émilion are typically blended from different grape varieties, the three main ones being Merlot (60% of the blend), Cabernet Franc (nearly 30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (around 10%).

Classification
Since 1955, there has been a classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The classification is updated every 10 years or so, and consists of the following levels: Premier grand cru classé A, Premier grand cru classé B, and Grand cru classé. As of the 2022 classification, there are currently two estates at the highest level: Château Figeac and Château Pavie.

Saint-Émilion satellites
Four other appellations situated immediately north and northeast of the Saint-Émilion AOC, across the Barbanne river, are collectively known as the Saint-Émilion satellites. They are Lussac-Saint-Émilion, Montagne-Saint-Émilion, Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion, and Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion. There were previous two other appellations: Parsac-Saint-Émilion, which became part of Montagne-Saint-Émilion in the 1970s; and Sables-Saint-Émilion, which became part of Saint-Émilion proper following lobbying by Alain Raynaud of Château Quinault. Of these, Montagne is the largest and Saint-Georges is the smallest. These previously called themselves "Saint-Émilion", but with the development of the AOC system in the 1930s, they were split off as inferior appellations (to not dilute the Saint-Émilion name), but allowed to add Saint-Émilion to the village name.

Pomerol also borders St Émilion to the west but is not considered a satellite and many of its wine compete with or outperform their neighbour, and in fact has its own satellite, Lalande-de-Pomerol, also to the north of the Barbanne.