Saint-Émilion AOC
Encyclopedia
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) for wine in the Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where it is situated in the Libourne
Libourne
Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
subregion on the right bank of the Dordogne. Saint-Émilion is registered as a world heritage by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Its 5400 hectares (13,343.7 acre) represent 67.5% of the total area of wine-producing communes (Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:Saint-Émilion's history goes back to prehistoric times and is a World Heritage site, with fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.The Romans planted...
, Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes
Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes
Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Hippolyte
Saint-Hippolyte, Gironde
Saint-Hippolyte is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Laurent-des-Combes
Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, Gironde
Saint-Laurent-des-Combes is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Pey-d’Armens
Saint-Pey-d'Armens
Saint-Pey-d'Armens is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is one of eight municipalities forming the jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion, which is a UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity for its historic vineyard landscape that has survived intact and in...
, Vignonet
Vignonet
Vignonet is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:...
, and a part of the Libourne
Libourne
Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
commune) and 6% of the total Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
vineyard.
The wines of Saint-Émilion are typically blended from different grape varieties, the three main ones being Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
(60% of the blend), Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
(nearly 30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
(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. Château AusoneChâteau Ausone
Château Ausone is a Bordeaux wine from Saint-Émilion appellation, one of only two wines, along with Château Cheval Blanc, to be ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine...
and Château Cheval Blanc
Château Cheval Blanc
Château Cheval Blanc , is a wine producer in Saint-Émilion in the Bordeaux wine region of France. Its wine is one of only two to receive the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé status in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine of 1955, along with Château Ausone.The estate's second wine is...
are the only two estates at the highest level.
Saint-Émilion satellites
Four other appellations situated immediately north and northeast of the Saint-Émilion AOC are collectively known as the "Saint-Émilion satellites". They are Lussac-Saint-ÉmilionLussac-Saint-Émilion
Lussac-Saint-Émilion is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for red wine situated in the Bordeaux wine region. The appellation is located on the right bank of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, about from city of Bordeaux or from the medieval village of Saint-Émilion...
, Montagne-Saint-Émilion
Montagne-Saint-Émilion
Montagne-Saint-Émilion is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of France, where it is situated in the Libourne subregion on the right bank of the Dordogne...
, Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion
Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion
Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of France, where it is situated in the Libourne subregion on the right bank of the Dordogne. It was granted AOC status on 14 November 1936, and the AOC designation granted to the wines which have...
, and Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion
Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion
Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of France, where it is situated in the Libourne subregion on the right bank of the Dordogne...
.