The Saint-Emilion grand cru appellation is distinguished from its neighbor by stricter production conditions, lower yields and a longer aging period. It has the particularity of having its own ranking, renewed every 10 years, with two levels of excellence : Grands Crus Classés and Premiers Grands Crus Classés. The limestone soils of the plateau and gravel on the gentle slopes are the preferred terroirs of the appellation. Planted on 5500 hectares, the vines are mainly composed of Merlot and Cabernet Franc with a complement of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Carmenère. The annual production is 150 000 hectoliters and the wines keep for 6 to 20 years.