Saint-Émilion. Limestone, legends and rebel winemakers.

Right Bank wines from the limestone plateau

Saint-Émilion lies on the Right Bank of the Dordogne, further from the Atlantic than the Médoc. Merlot reigns, followed by Cabernet Franc, which brings aromatic herbal notes and fine spice, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. The best wines are lush and concentrated, with dark fruit, well-judged oak and a chalky earthiness that turns to truffle with age.

The terroir falls into three parts: the plateau, the slopes and the flats. The famous limestone plateau, up to 100 meters high, acts like a sponge, holding water in wet seasons and releasing it in dry ones. Angélus, Ausone and Pavie are on the limestone, while Cheval Blanc and Figeac sit on gravelly slopes near Pomerol. The sandier flats give lighter wines. With some 5,500 hectares but an average holding of only about eight hectares, Saint-Émilion is a region of small estates, which is exactly what drew the Garagistes. More than 800 producers make wine here.

The Garagistes

In the early 1990s, a handful of independent winemakers began making tiny quantities of intense wine in small sheds and cellars. Mocked at first as Garagistes, they became stars when Château Valandraud’s 1995 outscored Petrus. Jean-Luc Thunevin of Valandraud, who started with just 0.8 hectares, is seen as the father of the movement.

The hosts visit Valandraud’s vineyards on the eastern limestone plateau, near the border with Castillon, where clay sits over limestone bedrock and solar panels help power the cellar. They also discuss how the Garagiste style has moved away from heavy oak and extraction toward more freshness.

Grand Cru, Grand Cru Classé and the classification

This is where students often get confused. Saint-Émilion and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru are two appellations covering the same area. Grand Cru means stricter rules, such as lower yields and longer aging, not a classified estate. The four satellites, including Lussac-Saint-Émilion and Montagne-Saint-Émilion, are separate appellations and often good value.

Created in 1955 and revised about every ten years, the Saint-Émilion classification has three tiers: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Every revision brings controversy and lawsuits. Before the 2022 edition, Angélus, Cheval Blanc and Ausone withdrew, leaving only Pavie and Figeac in the A tier. A Bordeaux négociant tells Susie why the classification still helps people who are new to these wines.

History, barrels and a rolling club

Wine has been made here since Roman times, and the Jurade de Saint-Émilion, dating back to 1199, may be the oldest wine society in France. The town and its vineyards are a UNESCO World Heritage site. For fun, the hosts try their hand at barrel rolling with a local club in Lussac-Saint-Émilion. Watch to see how Andreas fares.

Andreas and Susie also share their favorite Saint-Émilion memories, a great 1998 Cheval Blanc with roast suckling pig among them, and value tips from the Right Bank and nearby Fronsac.

Three wines and lamb from the limestone caves

In the studio, Susie compares Canon-la-Gaffelière 2016, with about 40% Cabernet Franc from warm, gravelly slopes, Angélus 2016, and a 2019 from Jean-Luc Thunevin grown on pure limestone. Hear how the soils change the feel of each wine. Canon-la-Gaffelière has been organic since 2014 and was one of the estates that led the move toward a more modern, concentrated style in the 1990s.

Chef Alexandre Baumard cooks braised lamb shoulder in two textures with mushrooms grown in the limestone caves of Saint-Émilion and a secret touch of coffee. Andreas explains why protein and fat tame powerful tannins, and why the dish was first created for the owner of one of the estates.

Go furtherStudying Bordeaux in depth? The Bordeaux Master-Level program from the Wine Scholar Guild is a natural next step after this episode.