WineRegionsOld WorldFranceBordeauxLibour.
The Romans were the first to cultivate the vine in St.-Emilion, a small
area that has exported its wines to various parts of the world for well
over 800 years. In the first half of this century it lapsed into obscurity
but over the last 30 years St.-Emilion has risen like a phoenix to recapture
its former fame. There are many reminders of the wine's ancient past, from
the famous Chateau Ausone, which is named after the Roman poet Ausonius,
to the walled hilltop village of St.-Emilion itself, which has survived
almost untouched from the Middle Ages. In contrast the Union de Producteurs,
which is the largest single-appellation coope´rative in France, is
a graphic illustration of the best in modern, technologically sophisticated
wine production. Today there are no less than 1,000 crus within 10 kilometres
(six miles) of the village of St.-Emilion that may use this appellation.
For those who find red wines too harsh or too bitter, St.-Emilion is one
of the easiest with which to make the transition from white to red. Its
elegance and finesse make it particularly appealing. The difference between
St.-Emilion and its satellites is comparable to the difference between silk
and satin, whereas the difference between St.-Emilion and Pomerol is like
the difference between silk and velvet. The quality is similar, but the
texture is not. Perhaps the Graves area that produces two of the very best
St.-Emilion's chateaux, Cheval-Blanc and Figeac, has more in common with
Pomerol than with the rest of the appellation.