Saint-Emilion
Situated in Bordeaux, the mecca of fine wine, a medieval village tangled by some of the finest vines in the world, producing what can only be descried as the muscle cars of wine; big, powerful and o so desirable. Saint-Emilion is situated on the right bank of the Gironde River, producing mostly Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon based powerhouse wines.
Nervously exiting the narrow streets of Bordeaux’s city hub and onto the highways leading you to Saint Emilion. You are instantly transported to what felt like a chapter out of the Harry Potter books. Gravel roads moving you past some of the most exclusive and world-renowned chateaus, navigating towards the old town, lined with stone roads and medieval architecture.
The character of wine is displayed throughout the old town, showing a rich and vibrant history, translating to the glass of wine you will be drinking. Providing a more juicy, high-tannic structure with a bold and powerful foundation. Generations of wine makers and drinkers flock around the narrow streets, ensuring everyone is educated on the viticulture history, while drinking copious amounts of delicious grape juice late into the evening, until you eventually stumble to bed and re-hydrate for your adventures the following day.
Saint Emilion is most known for its big powerful, full body wine, that seems to thrive in the devil of time. Its grape variety is most commonly known as a Bordeaux blend consisting of a three-grape combination;
Merlot
Cabernet Frank
Cabernet Sauvignon
Although there is a common wine blend and a bold characteristic represented in most St-Emilion wines, that’s where the similarities end. The region differs in weather conditions, soil-type, topography and wine making know how. The region has three distinct terroirs with the limestone plateaus, flats and slopes closest to the plateau. These three areas also differ in elevation with the plateau elevation peaking at around 100 meters, compared to the three-meter elevation in the flats.
Saint-Emilion Appellation
- Premier Grand Cru Classe A
- Premier Grand Cru Classe B
- The Grand Cru Classe Wines from St-Emilion
- Grand Cru
The limestone rich soil hillsides in the Cotes are home to most of the Premier Grand Cru class wines, representing not only the best wines in Saint-Emilion but from around the world and with a price tag to match. If you are fortunate enough to try a Premier Grand Cru Saint-Emilion, then you either have more money than the queen (congratulations) or opened a bottle for a very special occasion. Although, its not only the deliciousness and the price that makes these top end wines so desirable, it’s also its exclusivity.
Only the best restaurants around the world have these on their list and if your just a measly young hospitality worker like myself, the chances of getting your hands on a bottle of Chateau Ausone 1er Grand Crue Classe are quite slim, begging and pleading your sommelier colleage when the opportunity arises is the best chance you have. The exclusivity of these wines are another factor as to what makes it so desirable. Its not just about the wine itself, it’s the glamorous history of the chateau, the love and care taken in producing the wine, and the great handling of the drink once it has been bottled. The attention to detail by not only the production process but also in the preservation and storage of these bottles, and the forever changing dynamic of the wine through time are many factors which add to the popularity of the region.
While walking through the streets exploring the old town, you are surrounded by farmland and friendly faces. The sky was blue and the air crisp, the only thing fit for this occasion was an apéro on the cold rocky fence, overlooking the endless vines of Sain-Emilion. Wine tasting notes of the lunch summed up in two words, Fucking delicious.
