Filter
Drink:
Topics:
Terms:
Saccharification Saccharomyces Saccharomyces Cereviseae Sack Sacramental Wines Saint-Amour Sainte-Foy Bordeaux Saint-Emilion Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Saint-Estephe Saint-Joseph Saint-Julien Saint-Véran Sak Mead Sakaya Sakaya No Sake Saketini Salento Salento Igp Salento Rosso Igp Salmanazar Salta Samson San Benito County San Bernabe San Francisco Bay San Joaquin Valley San Juan San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo County San Pasqual Valley San Rafael Sancerre Sangiovese Sangiovese del Rubicone Sangiovese di Toscana IGT Sangria Sangrita Santa Barbara Santa Barbara County Santa Clara Valley Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Lucia Highlands Santa Maria Valley Santa Rita Hills Santa Ynez Valley Santiam Sapwood Sardegna DOC Satus Sauternes Sauvignon Blanc Savennières Savoie Sazerac Schloss Schlossabzug Scofflaw Screaming Orgasm Screwdriver Scuppernong Sec Secco Secondary Fermentation Seibel Seimaibuai Seishu Sekt Semillon Seneca Lake Sercial Serving Beer Set Seyval Blanc Seyve-Villard Shandy Shatter Shawnee Hills Shenandoah Valley Sherry Sherry Cobbler Shiraz Shizuku Shochu Shoot Shot Berries Shubo Sidecar Sierra Foothills Simcoe® Singapore Sling Single Cask/Single Barrel Single Malt Whiskey Sirah Six-Row Malt Skimming Skunk Slow Comfortable Screw Against the Wall Smoked Malt Smv Snake River Valley Snipes Mountain Snowball So2 Soave Soave Classico Dop Soft Solano County Solera Sommelier Sonoma Coast Sonoma County Sonoma Mountain Sonoma Valley Sorachi Ace Sour South Africa South Australia South Coast South-Eastern Australia Southeastern New England Southern Oregon Southside Sovereign Spain Sparkling Sake Sparkling Wine Spatburgunder Spatlese Specific Gravity Spicy Spirit Safe Spoilage Spring Mountain, Napa Valley Spritz al Bitter Spritzig Spritzy Spumante Spur St. Emilion St. Estèphe St. Georges St. Emilion St. Helena, Napa Valley St. Joseph Blanc St. Joseph Rouge St. Julien St. Laurent Stabilization Stags Leap District, Napa Valley Staling Stalks Stalky Standard Mead Stein Stellenbosch Stemmy Stems Still Wine Stomata Straight Stuck Fermentation Styrian Aurora Südsteiermark Sugaring SuIfur Dioxide Suisun Valley Sulfite Sulfuring Of Hops Sumadija Summer Summit™ Super Alpha Super Pride Sur Lies Swan Hill Swan Valley Swartland Sweet Sweet Pomace Sylvaner Syrah
Drinkipedia
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
The Right Bank of Bordeaux, due east of the city, encompasses the ancient town of Saint-Emilion and the nearby commune of Pomerol. The vineyards of both communes are planted heavily to Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which favors the cooler, often richer soils here more-so than those found in the Médoc. Saint-Emilion is a complex region with many soil variations within a small area. Nonetheless, with the Medoc as a frame of reference, the character of right bank wines can be said to be a degree richer in alcohol, and more fruit-centered with more supple, quicker maturing tannins: All traits which have endeared them to modern wine drinkers. The Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation designation is the first of the three Grand Cru levels for the Saint-Emilion appellation and is determined every ten years by quality-control tastings.

Bargain seekers should pay particular attention to the outlying Saint-Emilion satellite appellations, recognizable by having their commune names hyphenated before Saint-Emilion on the label. The right bank proper also encompasses Fronsac, Côte de Bourg and Côtes de Blaye all of whose wines attract far less media interest and carry much lower price tags.

Merlot on the Right Bank is harvested, on average, two weeks earlier than the Cabernet Sauvignon of the Left Bank. This simple fact makes generalizations about the character of a vintage in Bordeaux difficult to encapsulate by assigning a number to a vintage in "Bordeaux." Vintages that bring rain at harvest can be poor in the Medoc and much more successful on the Right Bank. In such cases, getting the grapes in before the rain is the difference in quality in Bordeaux, and this is no small matter in a region that often gives estate managers anxiety attacks as rain clouds darken the sky when vines are heavy with almost ripe grapes.

The phenomenon of the Saint-Emilion garagiste, the small scale winemaker with little more than a garage and a plot of vines, has grabbed the attention of the fine wine world with deeply concentrated, tiny production wines that command hefty prices. Garagistes have been providing much of the buzz of excitement in the region in recent years and their wines continue to set new price records in the fine wine world. (Wine/Appellations)