If it happens in your life to visit the magnificent village of Saint-Émilion, and if you want to discover one of the wines that are part of the much renowned Bordeaux produced in the Libournais area, book a visit-tasting at one of the many Chateaux and you will see that it will be a unique experience.
It happens to me to visit the Château Saint Georges located in Montagne, on the highest hill of the appellation of Saint-Émilion: specifically the Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion appellation.
The castle dominates this hill surrounded by vineyards and even the castle is worth a visit: it looks like a small Versailles!
The 45 hectares that are part of this appellation are mostly made by Merlot and some parcels have vines over 40 years old!
The south-west exposure and the clay-limestone soil favor the full maturation of the grapes which after a fermentation of maximum 5 weeks undergo a maturation of 12-14 months in barriques carefully selected .
At the tasting session, I tried a 2015 Château St. Georges with the classic assemblage (80 Merlot – 10 Cabernet Sauvignon – 10 Cabernet Franc) and a Château Puy St. Georges 2016, this with 100% Merlot.
I must say that the latter struck me from the roundness to the intense aromas of red fruit berries, especially raspberries, and slightly spicy, leather and liquorice notes. The purchase will certainly be justified by a tasting in few years. As always, it needs patience.