Behind the quaint postcards is a story of bitter rivalries, big money and a complicated relationship with wine critics. And a dog.
If anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any fucking merlot.
- Paul Giamatti as Miles in Sideways
By the time Sideways came out in 2004, Merlot sales were already declining worldwide. The massive expansion of the vineyards of the Bordeaux AOC in the 1980s, mostly planted to Merlot, led to a precipitous drop in quality despite keeping prices still high.
This is a grape that once represented the top echelons of worldwide wine. As an example, Château Pétrus, one of the most recognized wines in Bordeaux, is made with 100% Merlot from vineyards located in the Pomerol appellation.
Readers of my book know that in Bordeaux, the soil determines the blend. On the left bank of the Garonne river, gravelly soils are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. But right of the Garonne in the Entre-Deux-Mers zone, and especially on the right bank of the Dordogne, Merlot dominates in the rich clay soils.
And there is no better place for it than Saint-Émilion.
Around Saint-Émilion
The village of Saint-Émilion is picturesque and manicured and has been at the confluence of winemaking and trade since at least Roman times, and its location on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela certainly contributed to its hospitable reputation. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 as a recognition of this long history.
The vineyards Of Saint-Émilion are predominantly planted with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with Cabernet Sauvignon if pockets of soil allow for it. There are technically two appellations for the main village, Saint-Émilion AOC and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru AOC. They cover the same growing area but the Grand Cru has stricter production rules: lower yields, higher minimum alcohol, estate bottling, and at least 1 year aging. And quite distinctively, a mandatory tasting evaluation before and after aging -more on this later-.
While a constant in the soil is the richness in clay, there is some variation with some areas higher in sand content, which helps bring out the fruit flavours. But many areas are richer in limestone, giving wines with a higher acidity and more polished tannins. This is especially the case for the 4 satellite appellations around the village: Lussac-St. Émilion AOC, Montagne-St. Émilion AOC, Puisseguin-St. Émilion AOC and St-Georges -St. Émilion AOC.
And notably, there are pockets of very iron rich clay - just like in Pomerol - within Saint-Émilion, including in the Château Cheval Blanc vineyards.
Wine critics
But Saint-Émilion has a complicated history with wine critics. And Cheval Blanc is no stranger to it despite its place in the pantheon of great producers.
There is some controversy over what exactly happened in the early 1980s. Jaques Hébrard was the winemaker at Cheval Blanc and did not agree with Robert Parker’s evaluation of his wine, so he invited him for another tasting. Parker showed up, and he was attacked by the winemaker’s dog; according to him, when he asked for a bandage, Hébrard gave him a copy of his newsletter instead.
But not everyone in Saint-Émilion did the same with critics.
Most notably, Chateau Ausone -one of the Premier Grand Cru Classé A- employs Michel Rolland, the enologist widely considered to be responsible for the “Parkerization” of wines. And they are not the only ones to produce wines in that style, as the feud over Chateau Pavie was another flash point, this time between Parker and Jancis Robinson.
Classification
Controversy does not stop at wine critics though. The official classification was also challenged. The 1855 classification of Bordeaux wines only covered the left bank appellations, and was never* updated.
Exactly 100 years later, Saint-Émilion decided to create their own classification system, with the stipulation that it should be re-evaluated every 10 years or so. Unlike in Bourgogne, the Bordeaux classifications are granted to producers, not vineyards, so it makes sense to adjust things once in a while. As you could expect, a handful of producers whose wines were demoted filed a lawsuit, alleging that the tasting panel was not impartial, resulting in a messy cancellation of the 2006 revision.
The latest revision was done in 2012, and now the tasting panel is done by the INAO rather than wine merchants. It covers wines from the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru AOC, and there are 3 levels: Premier Grand Cru Classé A (4 Châteaux: Cheval Blanc, Angélus, Ausone and Pavie), Premier Grand Cru Classé B (14 Châteaux) and Grand Cru Classé (64 Châteaux). The other chateaux that follow AOC rules can use the Grand Cru designation, but not Grand Cru Classé on the label. As a consumer, the labelling difference is subtle, that said, you can usually tell by the price tag. Are Grand Cru Classé better than non Classé ? Not always. Classification is also about stylistic choices. Some producers who go for a more Californian approach produce excellent wines that are not necessarily typically “Saint-Émilion”.
In the glass
So what can you expect from Saint-Émilion ? This is a Bordeaux wine, very undeniably.
In general it’s more approachable than Médoc or other left bank Bordeaux appellations. The juiciness of Merlot can be a real asset for those who have a hard time with Cabernet Sauvignon’s austerity, especially in cold vintages. And behind the Merlot facade, Cabernet Franc provides the structure that make these wines great for long term cellaring.
The wines are rich and pleasant, most Grand Cru integrate new oak very successfully to bring even more structure. Alcohol levels are usually on the higher side.
Wines like this are not cheap. In Canada you won’t be able to find a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé for under $50. Grand Cru are usually in the $30-$70 range. For more budget-friendly options, skip the non-Grand Cru Saint-Émilion and look for the 4 satellite appellations. Lussac-St. Émilion and Montagne-St. Émilion are usually widely distributed.
Until next week, happy drinking !