There have vineyards around Saint-Émilion since Roman times, and today the Saint-Émilion wine appellation is one of the most prolific in the Bordeaux region, generating more than 250,000hl of wine each vintage. It is also responsible for some of the most prestigious, long-lived and expensive wines in the world – châteaux Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Figeac and Pavie, whose wines sell for hundreds of dollars per bottle, are all situated in and around Saint-Émilion. Only red wine qualifies for the appellation; a little dry white wine is made within the appellation borders, but it must be labeled as Bordeaux Blanc. (© Wine-Searcher)

Unlike the wines of the Médoc (which focus heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon), Saint-Émilion wines are predominantly made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The other traditional Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Petit Verdot and Malbec) are permitted for use here, but are rarely used to any significant extent. This is not so much a question of taste and style as one of terroir; the clay and chalk rich soils around Saint-Émilion are generally cooler than those on the Médoc peninsula, and are less capable of ripening Cabernet Sauvignon reliably. Merlot makes up around two thirds of vines planted around Saint-Émilion, and continues to increase in popularity because of the softer, more approachable wine styles it produces. There are two notable exceptions to this: Château Cheval Blanc, where Cabernet Franc occupies 58 percent of the vineyard area, and Château Figeac, where Merlot, Cabernet Franc and (more unusually) Cabernet Sauvignon enjoy equal representation in both vineyard and wine.