The heart of wine-making and Romanesque architectural heritage - Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion 932; Gastronomic meal of the French 00437; Art of dry stone walling, knowledge and techniques 01393
What and Why
Nestled in the heart of the Gironde region of France, Saint-Émilion is a name that resonates deeply within the world of wine. This picturesque mediaeval village, surrounded by gently rolling hills and vineyards (French: vignobles), is not only famous for its exceptional wines and its viticultural heritage but also for its cultural and historical significance. The winemaking traditions of Saint-Émilion have been passed down through generations, creating a unique blend of heritage, craftsmanship, and natural beauty. Moreover owing to its strategic location as a result of the wine trade, there are lots of Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep, undulating and narrow townscape and landscape.
The city history dates back to ancient times, with evidence of viticulture in the region as far back as the Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Romanum) times. The legacy of Saint-Émilion's winemaking can be traced to the monks who cultivated vineyards as part of their monastic duties. These early efforts laid the groundwork for the town's transformation into a major wine-producing region. The unique terroir of Saint-Émilion, characterised by its limestone plateau, clay-rich soils, and favourable microclimate, provided the perfect conditions for the cultivation of grape varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Over the centuries, the winemaking techniques and traditions in Saint-Émilion have evolved, but they have always remained deeply rooted in respect for the land and the craft, bringing prosperity and development to the city.
Toponymy
The town itself was named after a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict (Latin: Ordo Sancti Benedicti), Émilion, a former baker, who sought refuge in a cave in the 8th century CE. His followers established a religious community around this site and started producing wine just like other monks. Over the centuries, Saint-Émilion grew into a thriving town, renowned for its viticultural, religious and architectural heritage.
See
Vineyards (Vignobles)
One of the best and probably easiest ways to get a quick but deep idea about the vineyards of Saint-Émilion is to take the unmissable Le Train des Grands Vignobles tour. The tour takes its passengers a relaxing tour of Saint-Émilion aboard a little train through the village ramparts and its legendary vineyards, separated by small ramparts built through dry-stone-walling. The tour includes a very good narrative of the many prestigious wine estates and gives its passengers a breath-taking panoramic views of the village. As you can see above, even my young son and his friend enjoyed it.
The tour stops at one of the estates in revered Château Rochebelle inside a monolithic limestone cave. The cave dates back to the 18th century CE and the wine is classified as Grand Cru Classé, the second class of all the fine wines in Saint-Émilion.
Of course one will definitely leave the estate without a degustation of the wines.
There are more than 100 wine chateaux in Saint-Émilion, and each chateau will offer its own private tour. There is no way one can explore even a fraction of them, and the entire wine region covers an area of more than Its 54 km2.
The terrain (terroir) of Saint-Émilion is incredibly varied, with a mix of limestone, clay, and gravel soils spread across the region's rolling hills and plateaus. The limestone plateau, in particular, is the most prestigious part of the vineyard area, providing excellent drainage and the ability to retain moisture, which is ideal for vine growth. The diversity of the soils contributes to the complexity and richness of the wines.
The vineyards of Saint-Émilion are still managed with a deep respect for tradition, although many estates also incorporate modern and sustainable practices. Hand-harvesting is still common, ensuring that only the best grapes are selected. All these add into the cultural heritage of the city and its wine-making practice.
As afore-mentioned, the primary grape varieties grown in the region are Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot being the dominant species, contributing to more than 60% of the plantings. A more detailed description of the Saint-Émilion wines Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) will be described in the later section.
Monolithic Church of Saint-Émilion (Église Monolithe de Saint-Émilion)
The Monolithic Church of Saint-Émilion (Église Monolithe de Saint-Émilion) is one of the most remarkable and unique architectural treasures in Saint-Émilion, being carved entirely out of a single limestone rock of size 38 m length × 20 m wide × 12 m high during the 12th century CE, making it the largest monolithic structure in Europe. This underground church is one of the largest of its kind in Europe, making it a true marvel of engineering and religious devotion. It is however not this rock-cave where Émilion lived, which was actually nearby. However his followers' goal was to develop a community around where Émilion's activities were based, and over time, a monastery was born and it founded the city.
The church's design reflects the Romanesque style, with simple, yet powerful, architectural lines that draw the eye upward, emphasising the spiritual significance of the space.
Above ground, the church is topped by a massive bell tower which was added later in the 13th century CE. The tower rises 53 m above the town and serves as a landmark visible from afar.
King's Keep (Tour du Roy)
The King's Keep (Tour du Roy) also known as its old name in Castel Daou Rey, is a historic mediaeval keep dating back to the 13th century CE and is one of the most prominent and well-preserved examples of Romanesque architecture in the region. The castle was likely constructed under the orders of Henry III (né Henry Plantagenet), King of England, when Saint-Émilion was under English control.
The 14.5-m quadrangular formidable tower is situated on a rocky outcrop and is surrounded by natural caves and quarries, which have been used since the Middle Ages. The tower stands about 32 m high from its lowest terrace, and one can climb the 118 steps to the top for stunning panoramic views of Saint-Émilion and the surrounding vineyards.
The tower plays an important role in local traditions, particularly in the celebrations organised by the Jurade, a historic brotherhood responsible for overseeing the promotion of Saint-Émilion wines. Twice a year, the Jurade holds parades and ceremonies that culminate at the top of the tower, where they proclaim the quality of the vintage wines.
Collegiate Church (Église Collégiale)
Incredibly the most eye-catching church of Saint-Émilion is the Collegiate Church (Église Collégiale) that dates back to the year 1110 CE, and not the Monolithic Church. The church was built to serve as a community rather than only a place of worship. The religious community that lived inside the church was a college of Canons following the rule of Saint Augustine and embodying the official religious institution.
The church was conspicuously Gothic (German: Gotik), as the church was renovated and redeveloped between the 13th to 15th century CE. One of the most important feature of the church is its cloister, which is the spiritual hub for the monastery. It is a closed place for prayer, where the only real exit is the one towards the sky, the central garden symbolising the Garden of Eden (Hebrew: גַּן־עֵדֶן, Gan-ʿĒḏen).
The Tourist Office is located in the former refectory, at the southern facade of the chruch
La Cadène
The beautiful timber-framed house, La Cadène, with a arch-bridge is one of the main landmarks of the town. The house features mullioned windows and a turret. This house showcases the architectural evolution of this residential complex up to the 16th century CE. The building bears a certain symbolism as it connects the religious part at the top and secular part at the bottom, although this separation no longer exists nowadays.
There are many sculptures decorating the lower wooden parts of the house: characters, animals, plants, grapes... These represent Renaissance and Italian influences and probably a reference to the importation of these products from the New World!
The name of the place and the avenue comes from one of the owners of this house in the 13th century CE: Guillaume de la Cadène.
Market Hall (Halle du Marché)
The unassuming and rustic Market Hall (Halle du Marché) actually bears important history. It used to handle all the grain trades in the city. More importantly it is here in 1199 CE that the Charter Cliff, offering independence to Saint-Émilion, was signed and the government of the city was transferred to the Jurade.
There is one shop next to the Market Hall which is of international fame: the knife-making Laguiole en Aubrac. The world's best cutleries are all hand-made with more than 200 standard steps! According to my sister who works for a famous hotel chain, there is a six-month waiting time for an order of a set of steak-knife. Not sure if one wants to wait that long for a piece of souvenir.
Fountain of the King (Fontaine du Roi)
There are many fountains and natural springs in Saint-Émilion, due to the water flowing within the calcareous rocks. As a result a number of fountains or wash houses were built around the city. During the time women would come to these wash houses to do their laundries, to bath, but most importantly to gossip with other women (recalling similar practices in our blogged Valletta resulting in an ICH called L-Għana).
The Fountain of the King (Fontaine du Roi), the biggest of both wash houses, contains a front wall decorated with attractive sculptures. It was a place reserved for the washerwomen of the rich districts, assuring them thus a shelter in case of bad weather.
Brunet Gate (Porte Brunet)
Incredibly the various gates and ramparts of the city were actually built by the English during the 12th century CE to protect prosperous Saint-Emilion's village. Brunet Gate (Porte Brunet) was the main gate into the city and it was necessary to pay a tax to enter the village. Fortunately it does not apply anymore.
The name of the gate comes from the Gascon word 'branet' meaning 'moorland' as the gate is opened to the countryside.
Buy and Do
Visit the vineyards and the châteaux, what else? A lot of wine tours can be booked from the Tourist Office, as mentioned located at the Collegiate Church.
Eat and Drink
Saint-Émilion
The wines of Saint-Émilion AOC need almost no introduction and naturally it is an important component of the French gastronomy, which is itself an ICH. Saint-Émilion AOCs are highly revered and are some of the most esteemed and sought-after red wines in the world due to its exceptional quality, as indicated in the label below in Château Rochebelle.
The AOCs are known for their depth, complexity, and ability to evolve over time. They often exhibit flavours of fruits, along with notes of earthy undertones as they mature. The best examples can develop additional layers of complexity over time, with secondary and tertiary aromas such as truffles and leather emerging as the wine ages.
The wines of Saint-Émilion AOC are predominantly made from Merlot, which typically constitutes the majority of the blend. This grape variety is well-suited to the region's clay-limestone soils, producing wines with soft tannins, rich fruit flavours, and a velvety texture. Merlot's dominance in the blend gives Saint-Émilion wines their characteristic roundness and approachability, even when young. The second most important specie in Cabernet Franc contributes structure, aromatic complexity, and a certain freshness, with flavours of red fruits, herbs, and spices. Cabernet Sauvignon, though less commonly used, adds tannic structure, acidity, and longevity to the blend, enhancing the wine's ability to age gracefully over decades. Saint-Émilion AOC wines are particularly known for their excellent ageing potential.
Saint-Émilion has its own classification system, separate from the broader Bordeaux classification. This system was established in 1955 CE and is revised every ten years to reflect the changing quality and consistency of the wines. The classification, as indicated above, includes:
Premier Grand Cru Classé A: The highest designation, reserved for a small number of exceptional estates known for producing wines of the utmost quality and consistency.
Premier Grand Cru Classé B: A step below the A classification, but still representing some of the finest wines in the region.
Grand Cru Classé: This designation covers a broader range of high-quality wines that meet stringent standards for viticulture and winemaking. The wines from Château Rochebelle where we visited fall into this category.
In addition to these classified wines, the Saint-Émilion AOC also includes non-classified wines labelled simply as 'Saint-Émilion Grand Cru', which means that these wines must adhere to stricter production criteria than those labelled just 'Saint-Émilion', including lower yields and longer ageing requirements. By the way, the French word 'cru' means 'growth'.
Macaron
For all the colourful macarons as we know it, it all started and originated from Saint-Émilion when this small dessert was baked by Ursuline nuns since 1620 CE. This authentic recipe, which is effectively a big-coin-like almond wafer, is passed down generation to generation to Nadia Fermigier and she opened a small bakery in Saint-Émilion. This shop is now famously known as Véritables Macarons de Saint-Émilion with the macaron preparation kept to its tradition. The original recipe for macarons includes the same three main ingredients that modern Parisian macarons are known for: almond flour, egg whites, and sugar. Honestly it does taste very different from the modern macarons, but still very good and fresh.
Canelé
The other pastry of note is the canelé, which is a brown pastry flavoured with rum and vanilla with a soft and tender custard centre and a dark, thick caramelised crust. Canelé takes the shape of a small inverted grooved cylinder that looks like a traditional jelly dessert and its texture and taste is a bit like a sweet or alcoholic version of the Hong Kong-styled egg waffle (Cantonese: 雞蛋仔, gaidaanzai). The pastry originates from the region and dates back to the 15th century CE. The name is anecdotally quoted to derive from its current shape with the French word 'cannelure' meaning 'striation'.
Getting There and Around
Saint-Émilion is just 30 minutes away from Bordeaux. We drove there. Within the town of Saint-Émilion, it is actually quite small and fully walkable, although the terrain is fairly rugged and does need a bit of climbing. Of course one has to drive or take a wine tour if one wants to visit the vineyards as the area is really huge.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Viticulture was introduced to this fertile region of Aquitaine by the Romans, and intensified in the Middle Ages. The Saint-Emilion area benefited from its location on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela and many churches, monasteries and hospices were built there from the 11th century onwards. It was granted the special status of a 'jurisdiction' during the period of English rule in the 12th century. It is an exceptional landscape devoted entirely to wine-growing, with many fine historic monuments in its towns and villages.
The gastronomic meal of the French is a customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups, such as births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and reunions. It is a festive meal bringing people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking. The gastronomic meal emphasizes togetherness, the pleasure of taste, and the balance between human beings and the products of nature. Important elements include the careful selection of dishes from a constantly growing repertoire of recipes; the purchase of good, preferably local products whose flavours go well together; the pairing of food with wine; the setting of a beautiful table; and specific actions during consumption, such as smelling and tasting items at the table. The gastronomic meal should respect a fixed structure, commencing with an apéritif (drinks before the meal) and ending with liqueurs, containing in between at least four successive courses, namely a starter, fish and/or meat with vegetables, cheese and dessert. Individuals called gastronomes who possess deep knowledge of the tradition and preserve its memory watch over the living practice of the rites, thus contributing to their oral and/or written transmission, in particular to younger generations. The gastronomic meal draws circles of family and friends closer together and, more generally, strengthens social ties.
The art of dry stone walling concerns the knowhow related to making stone constructions by stacking stones upon each other, without using any other materials except sometimes dry soil. Dry stone structures are spread across most rural areas – mainly in steep terrains – both inside and outside inhabited spaces, though they are not unknown in urban areas. The stability of the structures is ensured through the careful selection and placement of the stones, and dry-stone structures have shaped numerous, diverse landscapes, forming various modes of dwelling, farming and husbandry. Such structures testify to the methods and practices used by people from prehistory to today to organize their living and working space by optimizing local natural and human resources. They play a vital role in preventing landslides, floods and avalanches, and in combating erosion and desertification of the land, enhancing biodiversity and creating adequate microclimatic conditions for agriculture. The bearers and practitioners include the rural communities where the element is deeply rooted, as well as professionals in the construction business. Dry stone structures are always made in perfect harmony with the environment and the technique exemplifies a harmonious relationship between human beings and nature. The practice is passed down primarily through practical application adapted to the particular conditions of each place.
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