Royal Saint Emilion

Union de Producteurs de Saint-Émilion is a cooperative wine group in Bordeaux producing a range of red wines. These are based mainly on the Merlot grape, which is sourced from 750 hectares (1850 acres) of Saint-Émilion and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru vineyards. The cooperative was founded in 1931 during a period of economic depression. The main instigator was Robert Villepigue, who had managed Château Figeac from 1905-1928, and who later owned Château Cadet...

Union de Producteurs de Saint-Émilion is a cooperative wine group in Bordeaux producing a range of red wines. These are based mainly on the Merlot grape, which is sourced from 750 hectares (1850 acres) of Saint-Émilion and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru vineyards. The cooperative was founded in 1931 during a period of economic depression. The main instigator was Robert Villepigue, who had managed Château Figeac from 1905-1928, and who later owned Château Cadet Piola. To begin with, there were just six member estates but today there are nearer 170, and the Union is responsible for around 12 percent of all production from Saint-Émilion. In 2003, Union de Producteurs constructed a new gravity-flow cellar, featuring 141 stainless steel vats. It is the largest facility of its type in Europe, and also has hi-tech optical sorting equipment, eight large vertical presses and a cellar housing 5000 barrels. Union de Producteurs has an extensive portfolio of brands and separately vinified château wines, including châteaux Le Loup, Viramiere and Galius. The company's annual production reaches 4,600,000 bottles.

Bordeaux Supérieur is an appellation of wines produced in the generic PDO Bordeaux area that are produced from classic Bordeaux grape varieties. Red wines are, as their name suggests, intended to be a slightly "superior" form of standard Bordeaux AOC wines. Therefore, it relies heavily on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. A few wines could present the "lost child" of Bordeaux, Carménère.

The Merlot-Cabernet Franc duet is an established and important variant on the classic Bordeaux blend , particularly on the Right Bank. It is used in the prestigious and Saint-Emilion and Pomerol appellations, and is behind some very high-profile wines. Merlot is usually used in higher proportions in this blend, thanks (in part) to its broad appeal and higher profile than Cabernet Franc. It provides most of the fruit component, offering up flavors...

The Merlot-Cabernet Franc duet is an established and important variant on the classic Bordeaux blend , particularly on the Right Bank. It is used in the prestigious and Saint-Emilion and Pomerol appellations, and is behind some very high-profile wines. Merlot is usually used in higher proportions in this blend, thanks (in part) to its broad appeal and higher profile than Cabernet Franc. It provides most of the fruit component, offering up flavors of mulberries, plum and dark berries. Perhaps more fundamentally, Merlot is well suited to the clay of the Right Bank, and (pre-global warming, at least) a more reliable ripener. Cabernet Franc adds more perfumed fragrances, usually with a distinctive herbal note. Used in higher proportions, it may also add some tobacco-leaf and green bell pepper characteristics. Among Cabernet Franc-dominant blends, Chateau Cheval Blanc is by far the best known. The combination has long been an institution on the Right Bank, but the wide spread of these two varieties has seen experimentation from several corners of the winegrowing world. In the US, some top wines are made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc (often with the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon) in California, Washington and New York. The blend is also made in Tuscany and Puglia in Italy. In the southern hemisphere, Merlot - Cabernet Franc blends are popular in regions that have developed reputations for producing quality Bordeaux-style wines. Examples include South Africa's Stellenbosch region and Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand.