Wine

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Old World

France

Bordeaux

LIBOURNAIS

The Libournais district

The right-bank of the Dordogne river, known as the Libournais district, is red wine country. Dominated by the Merlot grape, this district produces deep-colored, silky, velvety rich wines of classic quality in Pomerol and St.-Emilion and wines of modest quality but excellent value and character in the surrounding, so-called "satellite" appellation.
To encompass all the great wines of this district, one need only draw a boundary north from Libourne to Les Billaux, then southeast to St.-Christophe, southwest to St.-Laurent, and back again to Lihourne, for this tiny area contains all of Pomerol and the very best of St.-Emilion. This is where the Merlot grape reigns supreme; seven out of every ten vines are of that variety and it's succulent fruit is essential to the local style.

In the mid-195Os many Libournais wines were harsh, and even the best appellation generally did not enjoy the reputation they do today Most growers slowly developed the opinion that they were cultivating too much Cabernet sauvignon and Malbec for their particular terroir and decided that they should plant more Cabernet franc. A few growers argued for the introduction of Merlot, which was allowed by the regulations, because it would give their wines the suppleness they desired. Even if the growers could have agreed on united action. however, changing the ence´pagement of an entire district would have been a very long-term task, as well as being fantastically expensive. However in 1956 frost devastated the vineyards, forcing the Liboumais growers into action. With short crops inevitable for some years to come, prices soared, enabling them to carry out the massive replanting program which, ironically, they could not have afforded prior to the crisis. Just as there was a positive side to phylloxera, so there was to the frost of 1956: it led to the wholesale cultivation of Merlot and Cabernet franc, which established a totally different style of wines, providing the catalyst for the spectacular post-war success of St.-Emilion and Pomerol.

THE SATELLITES OF ST.-EMILION AND POMEROL

The wines of Lussac, Montagne, Parsac. Puisseguin, Sables and St.-Georges were once sold as St.-Emilion, but in 1936 these outer areas were given their own appellation. This was done to protect the image of the greatest St.-Emilion chateaux, but through the established historical use of this famous name the areas won the right to attach the name of St.-Emilion to their appellation. The tiny Sables area was later reclaimed by the St.-Emilion appellation, and Parsac and St.-Georges were merged with the Montagne St.-Emilion appellation. The reduction in the number of these confusingly similar wine names made sense, but the executive order that created the larger Montagne St.-Emilion appellation did not disband Parsac-St.-Emilion and St.-Georges St.-Emilion, and so a situation arose where the growers could choose between two very similar appellation. All the wines of Parsac utilize the Montagne-St.-Emilion appellation, but many growers in St.-Georges still sell their wines as St.-Georges-St.-Emilion. All five of the St.-Emilion hyphenated appellation, produce wines of essentially similar nature and with identical regulations.