Saint Emilion & satellites

The vineyards of Saint Emilion lie to the east of the old city of Libourne and, until the rise of Pomerol, were the very epitome of Right Bank Bordeaux. Here Merlot dominates, backed up by Cabernet Franc and only very small proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon. Great estates like Cheval Blanc and Ausone continue to produce majestic wines for serious collectors but there are many good wines made within the reach of the reasonable drinker.

Attempts to reproduce a classification along the lines of the famous 1855 classification of the wines of the Haut-Médoc have met with mixed results and are, currently, the subject of much legal wrangling. The moniker of “Grand Cru”, whilst a good sign, is perhaps not the stamp of absolute quality it might be elsewhere in France.

Surrounding Saint Emilion are a ring of smaller appellations that have appended the name Saint Emilion to their own and produce wines of similar style, often at attractive prices. These are known informally as the Saint Emilion satellites.

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