Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is an appellation, not a ranking. It covers the same vineyard area as plain Saint-Émilion but demands lower yields, a higher minimum alcohol and a tasting panel before release, and it is what the great majority of serious estates on the Right Bank bottle under.

The classification — Grand Cru Classé and Premier Grand Cru Classé — sits on top of this appellation and is revised roughly every ten years, most recently in 2022. Every classified château is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru; the reverse is not true.

These are Merlot-led blends with Cabernet Franc, grown on the limestone plateau, the côtes and the sand and gravel soils below. This collection holds every Saint-Émilion Grand Cru in the cellar, classified or not.