The hot, dry 2022 summer with its dangerously close forest fires brought climate change into sharp focus for Bordeaux. At the primeur tastings this spring, the 2022 wines showed, with few exceptions, very well, with even wine makers expressing surprise and definitely relief over quality although yields are low. 

This quality is due in large part to stores of water in the sub soils from a wet winter and perhaps vines starting to adapt to new climate parameters. Wine makers are also adapting viticultural practices, cover crops, leaf stripping, agro-forestry and much more. 

In 2019, as part of this adaption to climate change, Bordeaux introduced new grape varieties into the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur Appellations as an experiment. The six ‘new’ grape varieties include four red grape varieties: Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan and Touriga Nacional and two white grape varieties: Alvarinho and Liliorila. 

Could it be that climate change is not all bad news? Appellations with cooler terroirs sometimes struggle to get grapes to perfect ripeness. Could these cooler terroirs be coming into their own as temperatures rise? Does climate change mean it’s time to reassess our perception of some Bordeaux appellations?  

Cornelis van Leeuwen, from Bordeaux University thinks so. As Bordeaux’s leading terroir expert, he should know.  He has turned his attention to the satellite appellations of Saint Emilion, and in particular to Les Saints Elites, 8 family-owned vineyards working together since 2016 to promote these too often overlooked terroirs.

To the north of Saint Emilion, the appellations of Saint-Georges Saint-Emilion, Montagne Saint-Emilion, Puisseguin Saint-Emilion and Lussac Saint-Emilion have long been in the shadow of their more famous neighbour. Although they carry Saint Emilion in their name, they don’t have the option of a Saint Emilion Grand Cru appellation and neither can they participate in the classification. Although, given recent history, some may say that’s not a bad thing.  

These four appellations cover 4000 ha compared to 5000 ha for Saint Emilion and Saint Emilion Grand Cru. The largest, Montagne Saint Emilion is 1500 ha and Saint Georges the smallest at 200ha. This division into four identities is interesting. Saint Emilion has a diversity of terroirs all under the same appellation, limestone, clay, sand and gravel. A diversity that becomes clear as you taste across the appellation but difficult for a consumer to identify from a label that carries the same AOP. 

Same but different

The satellites have a lot in common with their more famous neighbour, their terroir and their Merlot dominated blends. Their wines were often characterised as ‘rustic’, cooler terroir showing green tannins in tricky vintages. No longer. 

How much cooler?

Van Leeuwen’s study quotes the average annual temperature in Saint-Emilion at 13.9°C (Cheval Blanc station, 1995-2018) but with  significant temperature variation. The temperature maps from his study (using the Winkler index) used temperature sensors located in the vine canopy, inside the plots. 

Highest temperatures recorded in the south-west of the appellations (Libourne) and the lowest in the north-east (Lussac commune). The temperature map shows the Saint-Emilion satellite appellations as generally cooler than the Saint-Emilion and Pomerol appellations. 

From handicap to advantage

Historically, these cooler soils have been a handicap, as ripeness arrived later and could not be achieved for all of the varieties in poorer years. But, in the hot, dry 2022 vintage, when top properties of Saint Emilion were given a last minute derogation to water vines, the satellites held up just fine. The vines looked after themselves very nicely thank you, producing wines with an elegant freshness that showed well in the recent primeur tastings. 

These cooler conditions favour the aromatic expression of Merlot, a grape traditionally planted in the cooler soils across Bordeaux, but that quickly suffers from an excess of heat and with a short picking window.

The countryside of the satellites is beautiful, with rolling hillsides. The highest point of 100m is in Puisseguin and around 80m in Lussac and Montagne. The steeper slopes face south and west, with sun exposure and elevations changing across the satellites, and within vineyards. Properties are on average larger than Saint Emilion and Pomerol, giving them the advantage of blending not only varieties but also terroirs.

Terroir 

Comparing the terroir maps of Saint Emilion and the satellites you can clearly see similar terroirs across the appellations. With the exception of Château Figeac and Cheval Blanc, most of the 1^st classified growths are found in and around the medieval town of Saint Emilion, on hard Asteride limestone. The same limestone runs across the satellites, (and Fronsac) where it has been eroded by streams and rivers and rises up as a plateau between them covered with shallow to deep clay, molasses and silty clay soils on top. A mosaic of terroirs that react differently to the climate, with the deeper clay acting as a precious water reservoir. 

Layer the temperature map on top of this and we see that, even with the similar soils, the temperature still remains cooler in the satellites. 

More than terroir.

Wine quality is not only dependent upon natural factors (topography, climatology, geology and soil) but also the work in the vineyards. 

The satellite vineyards are not subject to the investment fever seen in other right bank appellations – yet. They are a majority of family vineyards and have been over generations, generations that have the privilege of a long view and a long experience. An intimate knowledge leading to a choice of varieties, clones and rootstock adapted to the terroir. 

This awareness of the advantage of cooler soils is not limited to the satellites. At a recent tasting in Château Grand Corbin, classified growth of Saint Emilion, they enthusiastically shared their location the northern, traditionally cooler, part of the Saint Emilion appellation. Not something they would have mentioned, let alone boasted about in the past. Fronsac also had a great 2022 vintage. Traditionally a cooler neighbour of Saint Emilion, it neither had the right, nor the need to irrigate thanks to the cooler terroir with deep clay acting as a water reserve.

Looking forward

The terroir study was not just a pat on the back and reassurance for the satellites, it offered recommendations to the wine makers. Working with each of the eight Saint Elites properties, van Leeuwen dug deep (sorry). Soil pits were studied on each estate and although precise advice varied from property to property, as the climate changes and temperatures rise, van Leeuwen recommends gradually increasing the proportion of Cabernet Franc and Malbec in the blends right across the appellations and vineyards.

Bordeaux’s cooler terroirs are coming in from the cold. 

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