Saint-Émilion
2 appellations on the same ground, 8 communes and part of Libourne: Saint-Émilion and the stricter Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, the only Bordeaux appellation with a classification written into its rules, redone every 10 years.
The place
Saint-Émilion is a tertiary limestone plateau, the calcaire à astéries, with thin limestone and clay-limestone soils on top, silty clay on the flanks, molasse below, and sand and gravel toward the Dordogne. Merlot goes on the clay; Cabernet Franc on the limestone and the warmer sands. Both appellations cover the same ground, 8 communes and part of Libourne, about 5,400 hectares and some 700 growers; the difference is in the rules, not the map. The town’s growers formed their syndicate in 1884.
The rules
Red only in both, from Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Carmenère as principal varieties and Petit Verdot to 10%, at 5,500 vines a hectare. Saint-Émilion asks for 53 hectoliters with a ceiling of 65 and 11% of natural alcohol, with the wine raised until March 31 and released from April 15 of the year after the harvest. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru asks for 46 with a ceiling of 55 and 11.5%, and holds the wine back longer: raised until February 1 of the second year, released from May 15 of the second year. Both cahiers des charges in force, the official rulebooks of the 2 appellations, were homologated on July 27, 2023.
The names
The classification belongs to Saint-Émilion Grand Cru and is written into its rulebook, valid for 10 years from each homologation. The list approved by INAO on September 8, 2022 and homologated on December 15, 2022 holds 85 estates: 2 Premiers Grands Crus Classés A, Figeac and Pavie, 12 Premiers Grands Crus Classés B and 71 Grands Crus Classés. It is also a list marked by who is missing. Ausone and Cheval Blanc withdrew in July 2021 and Angélus on January 5, 2022, so of the 4 Premiers Grands Crus Classés A of 2012 only Pavie was left to be ranked, joined by Figeac; the 3 who left hold no rank.
- Color
- Red
- Communes
- 8 and part of Libourne, the same for both appellations
- Vineyard
- About 5,400 hectares, some 700 growers
- Grapes
- Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Carmenère; Petit Verdot to 10%
- Density
- 5,500 vines a hectare at least
- Yield
- Saint-Émilion 53 hectoliters, ceiling 65; Grand Cru 46, ceiling 55
- Alcohol
- 11% natural; Grand Cru 11.5%
- Release
- Saint-Émilion from April 15 of the year after; Grand Cru from May 15 of the second year
- Classified
- 85 in the list of 2022: 2 A, 12 B, 71 Grands Crus Classés
- AOC since
- 1936; cahiers of July 27, 2023
Sources: FGVB, cahiers des charges Saint-Émilion et Saint-Émilion grand cru, arrêtés du 27 juillet 2023 · INAO, the Saint-Émilion classification of 2022 · Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux · INAO, Saint-Émilion grand cru · INAO and the Fédération des Grands Vins de Bordeaux, cahiers des charges · INAO and the BO-AGRI, cahiers des charges
The stack
The same ground in Saint-Émilion may also be labeled Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur, Crémant de Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. A grower chooses which appellation to sell under, and the narrowest is almost always the dearest.
It shares named communes with Pomerol.
The appellations of Bordeaux are stacked, not laid side by side. The map draws the whole stack. Open the map
Classifications that reach this appellation: The Classification of Saint-Émilion and The Michelin Guide selection.
Châteaux on this site
- Château Angélus
- Château Ausone
- Château Badette
- Château Balestard La Tonnelle
- Château Barde-Haut
- Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
- Château Beauséjour
- Château Bélair-Monange
- Château Bellefont-Belcier
- Château Bellevue
- Château Bellevue-Mondotte
- Château Bellisle Mondotte
- Château Berliquet
- Château Billeron Bouquey
- Château Boutisse
- Château Cadet-Bon
- Château Canon
- Château Canon La Gaffelière
- Château Cap de Mourlin
- Château Chauvin
- Château Cheval Blanc
- Château Clos de Sarpe
- Château Corbin
- Château Corbin Michotte
- Château Cormeil-Figeac
- Château Côte de Baleau
- Château Coutet
- Château Croix de Labrie
- Château Dassault
- Château de Ferrand
- Château de Pressac
- Château Destieux
- Château Faugères
- Château Faurie de Souchard
- Château Figeac
- Château Fleur Cardinale
- Château Fombrauge
- Château Fonplégade
- Château Fonroque
- Château Franc Mayne
- Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac
- Château Grand Corbin
- Château Grand Corbin-Despagne
- Château Grand Mayne
- Château Grand-Pontet
- Château Guadet
- Château Haut-Brisson
- Château Haut-Corbin
- Château Haut-Sarpe
- Château Jean Faure
- Château L’Arrosée
- Château La Clotte
- Château La Commanderie
- Château La Confession
- Château La Couspaude
- Château La Croizille
- Château La Dominique
- Château La Fleur Morange
- Château La Gaffelière
- Château La Gomerie
- Château La Grave Figeac
- Château La Marzelle
- Château La Serre
- Château La Tour du Pin
- Château La Tour Figeac
- Château Laniote
- Château Laplagnotte-Bellevue
- Château Larcis Ducasse
- Château Larmande
- Château Laroque
- Château Laroze
- Château Le Châtelet
- Château Le Prieuré
- Château Les Grandes Murailles
- Château Magdelaine
- Château Mangot
- Château Mauvinon
- Château Mazouet
- Château Monbousquet
- Château Montlabert
- Château Montlisse
- Château Moulin du Cadet
- Château Moulin Saint-Georges
- Château Pavie
- Château Pavie Macquin
- Château Pavie-Decesse
- Château Péby Faugères
- Château Petit Faurie de Soutard
- Château Petit Gravet Aîné
- Château Peyreau
- Château Quinault L’Enclos
- Château Quintus
- Château Ripeau
- Château Rochebelle
- Château Rocheyron
- Château Rol Valentin
- Château Saint-Georges Côte Pavie
- Château Sansonnet
- Château Simard
- Château Soutard
- Château Tertre Rôteboeuf
- Château Tour Baladoz
- Château Tour Saint Christophe
- Château Trianon
- Château Troplong Mondot
- Château TrotteVieille
- Château Valandraud
- Château Villemaurine
- Château Yon-Figeac
- Clos Badon Thunevin
- Clos de l’Oratoire
- Clos des Jacobins
- Clos Dubreuil
- Clos Fourtet
- Clos Saint-Julien
- Clos Saint-Martin
- Couvent des Jacobins
- La Mondotte
- Lassègue
- Le Dôme
- Lynsolence
Also in this appellation, with no page here yet: Château La Croix Younan, Château Le Vieux Pressoir, Château Zaya.
Tastings
30
May 22, 2026
Château Billeron Bouquey 2022, Saint Émilion Grand Cru
May 21, 2026
Christian Moueix 2005, Saint Émilion
May 20, 2026
Grand Mirande Berthonneau 2023, Saint Émilion Grand Cru
May 19, 2026 · 2
Château Tertre Roteboeuf 2018, Saint Émilion Grand Cru
May 15, 2026 · 2
Château La Dominique 2016, Saint Émilion Grand Cru Classé
May 13, 2026 · 3
Château Grand Corbin-Despagne 1998, Saint Émilion Grand Cru Classé
News from Saint-Émilion
38
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Michelin names 9 top-tier Bordeaux estates
Nine Bordeaux châteaux received Michelin’s highest three-grape distinction in the guide’s first regional selection following Burgundy.
The system introduces a new, consumer-facing judgment of estate quality across the Médoc, Saint-Émilion and the wider region. Its influence will depend on whether collectors and visitors treat the grapes as a serious complement to Bordeaux’s established classifications.
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Cheval Blanc calls 2026 a vintage of records
Director Pierre Olivier Clouet says the 2026 vintage looks highly promising despite exceptional heat. The Saint Émilion estate is navigating an intense harvest with experienced local picking teams.
Cheval Blanc offers an important early reading of conditions on the Right Bank, particularly for Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It remains one estate's assessment, but its harvest decisions and eventual balance will influence the wider 2026 narrative.
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Bordeaux wine: How does hand harvesting work at a Saint-Émilion classified growth?
How hand harvesting is carried out at a classified growth in Saint-Émilion, seen from inside the vineyard during the harvest.
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Saint-Émilion invites you to the Harvest Festival
Saint-Émilion’s Grands Crus Classés will open 45 châteaux for the fourth Fête des Vendanges on October 10 to 11, 2026. The public event includes vineyard walks, workshops, winery visits and shared winemaker meals marking the end of the 2026 harvest.
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Château La Tour Figeac: An estate among illustrious company
Château La Tour Figeac in St-Emilion was created from land sold by Château Figeac in 1879 and divided again in 1881; despite its name, the estate has no tower, according to decanter.com.
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Despite the devastating fires: Bordeaux remains a paradise for wine lovers
Bordeaux faced unprecedented wildfires for weeks in July, with thousands of hectares devastated, while St. Émilion remains a destination for wine lovers, according to Berliner Zeitung.
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European Heritage Days open up the behind-the-scenes of the Bordeaux vineyard
European Heritage Days will offer exceptional visits and openings in Saint-Émilion on Sept. 19 and 20, 2026. The Sept. 20 program will coincide with Saint-Émilion's Ban des Vendanges, which traditionally marks the start of the harvest period.
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Europe’s Wine Harvest Begins Early As Heat And Drought Accelerate Grape Ripening
Heat and drought brought Europe's grape harvest forward to unprecedented levels, according to the Association of European Wine Industries. In Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, grapes began to be picked on Aug. 19, while producers faced rising costs and weaker wine consumption.
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Chateau Troplong-Mondot started its earliest red harvest on record on Aug. 19
Chateau Troplong-Mondot began picking red grapes on Aug. 19 in Saint-Emilion, 9 days earlier than its 2025 harvest and the earliest red harvest date recorded at the estate.
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Cycling trip in France: Tour de France through the vineyards of Bordeaux
A cycling trip through Bordeaux’s vineyards starts in Bordeaux and runs through areas including Entre-deux-Mers, Médoc and Saint-Émilion. In Bommes, 40-year-old winemaker Alexis Charrier produces Sauternes with his family property.
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Saint-Émilion: Larcis Ducasse Has "La Côte"
Château Larcis Ducasse has unveiled the “La Côte Larcis” box set, bringing together 3 interpretations of subtly different terroirs across 3 vintages from its 11-hectare Saint-Émilion property.
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Château Moncets: the place to escape and discover Bordeaux’s historic terroirs
Château Moncets in Lalande-de-Pomerol opens as a wine tourism destination near Bordeaux: a historic setting, a conversion to organic farming, and Pomerol and Saint-Émilion close by.
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A first in France: this ride-hailing service launches an offer to try to save the Bordeaux vineyard
According to Actu.fr, Bolt launched its first such offer in France, Bolt Vignobles, in Gironde on July 1, 2026. Options serve 3 or 6 people from Bordeaux or Bordeaux-Mérignac airport to Médoc sud Margaux, Sauternes or Saint-Émilion.
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Meet the CEO Bringing New Flair to the Historic Château Angélus Bordeaux Estate
de Boüard-Rivoal is the first woman in 8 generations to lead Château Angelus in Saint-Émilion. As managing director, she leads a team of 170 people.
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This wine was the toast of the world. Now even the locals don’t drink it
According to the Australian Financial Review, Bordeaux restaurants and wine bars have many wines open but few bottles of local Bordeaux, while wines from Saint-Émilion are hard to find in the city.
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Why Château Corbin is 'an intimate jewel of St-Emilion'
This Decanter feature profiles Château Corbin, a small grand cru classé estate in Saint-Émilion, highlighting its setting, character and vineyards. It presents the property as a charming, down-to-earth example of Right Bank Bordeaux.
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Laydis vineyards turn to crowdfunding
Thomas and Élodie Laydis have launched a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule to turn their family estate, Château Roc de Calon, into an wine-tourism destination. Based in Montagne-Saint-Émilion, the move is presented as a diversification strategy in response to the wine sector crisis.
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Panel tasting results: Superb St-Emilion & Pomerol from 2020
Decanter reports panel tasting results for 147 wines from Saint-Emilion and Pomerol from the 2020 vintage. The tasting found 3 Exceptional, 32 Outstanding and 98 Highly Recommended wines.
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From the Alps to Bordeaux: unmissable routes for the collector on the road
According to AostaSera, Bordeaux is a major destination for luxury wine tourism and international collectors, with appellations including Médoc, Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Graves.
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Panel tasting results: Great-value Right Bank Bordeaux in the spotlight
decanter.com’s May 25 panel tasting covered 137 Right Bank Bordeaux wines, with 16 rated Highly recommended and 80 Recommended; 10 of the 16 Highly recommended wines came from St-Emilion satellite appellations.
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Cheval Blanc 2025 released after 'smallest harvest since 1961'
Cheval Blanc 2025 was released en primeur on May 11, 2026, after the St-Emilion property's smallest harvest since 1961, except in 1991, when no wine was made, according to Decanter.
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St-Emilion Grand Cru: 18 wines offering quality and value in Bordeaux
Decanter identifies 18 St-Emilion Grand Cru wines as offering quality and value, with the category often featuring approachable, affordable, early-drinking, Merlot-based bottlings.
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Open days in Saint-Émilion: small family estate Clos Systey cultivates its gems
As of May 2, 2026, Clos Systey was a 2-hectare family property in Saint-Émilion, founded in 2015, led by Fanny Dulong and farmed biodynamically, according to Sud Ouest.
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At 90 Years: Bordeaux Icon Bernard Magrez Regulates Succession
According to wein.plus, 90-year-old Bordeaux entrepreneur Bernard Magrez named his 63-year-old son Philippe as his successor. Philippe has worked in the group for 40 years and has managed Château Plaisance in St. Emilion since 2005.
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Saint-Émilion & the other Right Bank appellations
After 2 years of élevage, Terre de Vins found that the promising 2023 vintage was confirmed across Saint-Émilion and other Right Bank appellations, with more accessible successes than the highly regarded 2022 vintage.
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The Premiers Grands Crus Classés and 'stars' of Saint-Émilion
After 2 years of élevage, Terre de Vins names Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Angélus among the standout 2023 Saint-Émilion properties and comments on the Premiers Grands Crus Classés. It says the uneven vintage offers informed consumers more accessible successes than 2022.
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Châteaux Fonroque and Mazeyres: a new organization for the Guillard family
The Guillard family has announced a new organization for Château Fonroque (Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé) and Château Mazeyres (Pomerol) to support long-term development. Judith Barat is appointed to lead both properties, while the technical teams remain in place with Alain Moueix continuing as consultant.
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Château La Couspaude acquired by the Flurin family
Château La Couspaude, a 7-hectare Saint-Émilion estate on the limestone plateau, has been acquired by Pierre-Henri and Véronique Flurin. The deal confirms recent market rumors in Bordeaux.
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The price of this gold-medal Bordeaux red wine surprises wine lovers
A discounted Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2019 from Château Le Vieux Pressoir, a gold-medal-winning Bordeaux red, is surprising wine lovers on Cdiscount, according to leparisien.fr.
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Château Fonroque revealed through 14 vintages
An exceptional vertical tasting of 14 Château Fonroque vintages took place on Monday, January 19, in Saint-Émilion, assessing the influence of the estate’s biodynamic practices on its wines. Château Fonroque has been Biodyvin-certified in biodynamics since 2008.
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Aymeric de Gironde: "Let’s be less ashamed of making wine"
Aymeric de Gironde, director general of château Troplong Mondot, a Premier Grand Cru Classé de Saint-Émilion, says wine professionals should be “less ashamed of making wine” and better defend wine’s cultural value.
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The Brilliant Career of Clos Fourtet
On July 16, 2025, Clos Fourtet in Saint-Émilion was described as having 13 hectares of historic underground galleries, where bottles of the Premier Grand Cru Classé B mature.
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On April 9, 2025, Château-Figeac, a Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" of Saint-Emilion, was preparing to host the Soirée d’Accueil des Primeurs 2024.
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A St-Emilion story: Château Pavie profile
Gérard Perse, former owner of Château Pavie, died in July, according to Decanter. Château Pavie is one of 2 St-Émilion estates currently ranked premier grand cru class A.
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The brilliant career of Clos Fourtet
On July 16, 2025, Clos Fourtet’s vines near the medieval village of Saint-Émilion were described as resting above 13 hectares of historic underground galleries, where bottles of the Premier Grand Cru Classé B mature.
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The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux published its 2025 Harvest Notebook on October 13, 2025, covering the harvest from Saint-Julien to Pessac-Léognan, Saint-Émilion and Sauternes and describing the vintage as elegant and atypical.
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Château-Figeac, a Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" estate in Saint-Emilion, is set to host the Welcome Evening for the 2024 Primeurs.
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2025 is turning out to be a great year for wine
According to dailygazette.com, 2025 is shaping up as an excellent wine year, with record-early harvests across France and the earliest-ever picking at Château Troplong Mondot in Saint-Emilion.