Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion
Red only from the limestone plateau of the old village of Saint-Georges, above the Barbanne stream and part of Montagne since 1973: 200 hectares, and 1 of the 4 satellites entitled to add Saint-Émilion to their name.
The place
Saint-Georges was a commune until 1973, when Montagne took it in, and the appellation keeps its ground: a limestone plateau on which the old village stands, looking down on the Barbanne. The soils are clay and limestone, on slopes that face south and southwest, and Merlot does particularly well on them. The vineyard covers 200 hectares, shared by 24 growers.
The rules
Red only, from Merlot above all, which the growers complete in places with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot must be picked at 194 g/l of sugar and the other varieties at 180, the wine must reach 11% of natural alcohol, and the yield is 53 hectoliters a hectare with a ceiling of 65. It reaches the consumer from March 31 of the year after the harvest. The cahier des charges (the appellation’s official rulebook) in force, the appellation’s official rulebook, was homologated by the decree of October 20, 2011.
The names
The vineyard was planted in Roman times and spread in the Middle Ages with the religious orders. On February 19, 1923 the Court of Appeal of Bordeaux let the communes around Saint-Émilion add its name to theirs, and the appellation was recognized in 1936. It is 1 of the 4 satellites, with Lussac, Montagne and Puisseguin. No estate here is classified: the Saint-Émilion classification stops at Saint-Émilion Grand Cru.
- Color
- Red
- Communes
- Part of Montagne: the old commune of Saint-Georges, merged into Montagne in 1973
- Vineyard
- 200 hectares, 24 growers
- Ground
- A limestone plateau with clay and limestone soils, above the Barbanne
- Grapes
- Merlot above all, with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in places
- Yield
- 53 hectoliters a hectare, ceiling 65
- Alcohol
- 11% natural at least; 194 g/l of sugar for Merlot, 180 for the others
- Release
- From March 31 of the year after the harvest
- Classified
- No classification
- AOC since
- 1936; cahier of October 20, 2011
Sources: INAO, Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion · FGVB, cahier des charges Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion, décret du 20 octobre 2011 · FGVB, synthèse des cahiers des charges au 18 janvier 2024 · FGVB, synthèse des cahiers des charges au 2 avril 2026, dates à respecter · Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux, Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion