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Saint Emilion is a beautiful Roman village, situated on a hillside overlooking field after field of vines. The village is a tourist attraction in its own right, and the fact that it is the largest right bank wine-growing area means it is a must to visit for any tour of the Bordeaux region. The name is derived from a Breton monk, called Emilian, who arrived in the area in the 8th Century. Famous for being the victim of great injustices, he eventually withdrew from the world and lived by himself on top if the forest-covered hillside. After developing a reputation for performing miracles, he died in 797.
The
wines are many and varied. Nine communes are entitled to use the Saint-Emilion
appellation comprising about 5,200 hectares. They owe their variety to
the different 'terroir' within the area of which there are four main
'zones':
- limestone plateau found mainly around the village
of Saint-Emilion
- clay-limestone slopes surrounding the limestone plateau
- siliceous clay-gravel terrace extending to the north-west
as far as the communes of Pomerol and Libourne
- sand-gravel plain covering the southern part of the
appellation as far as the Dordogne valley
Merlot is the predominant grape variety (55-60%) with 30-35% Cabernet Franc (or Bouchet). Cabernet Sauvignon makes up the remainder, and is relatively unimportant since the lack of gravel in the area causes difficulty in ripening.
We work with Jean-Michel Moueix who as well as owning Château la Tour du Pin Figeac in Saint-Emilion, owns several other châteaux including the adjacent Clos Beauregard in Pomerol, and Beauregard de Lucie in Cotes de Castillon.
T: +33 5 57 84 94 75 M:+33 6 71 70 44 20 E: info@france-uncorked.com