Pomerol
The small wine region of Pomerol is home to mind-boggling, deep, rich and elegant wines produced by the Merlot grape. This is where Chateau Petrus and Chateau Le Pin are found and prices for the best vintages at the best makers can climb quickly into the thousands of dollars per bottle. It is interesting to note that this appellation differs from its neighbours in that it is not a blend of different wine varietals but the result of a single grape variety. Once again the soil is the determining factor in how and where the grapes are grown. The finest wines are in general made on the highest parts of the plateau, which is predominantly gravel but whose layers are interleaved with clay, becoming sandier going west, where lighter wines are made. The subsoil here is distinguished by a local iron-rich clay, the crasse de fer, of which Château Pétrus has an abundance. Pomerol is unusual in being the only one of Bordeaux’s great wine districts to have no official classification.

St-Emilion
For many, St-Emilion is the appellation of a fine red wine. It is, however, also a charming and historically important village in the middle of the wine growing district. Its origins date back at least to the mid 8th century when the hermit Emilion dug out a cave for himself in the limestone that is now the centre of town. Many monasteries followed, and by Medieval times St-Emilion had grown into a small town and an important relais on the western Pilgrimage route. A touch touristy but still authentic and blessed by a steep and narrow centre of town that keeps all but the tiniest vehicles away. Chateaux Figeac, Cheval Blanc and Ausone are the historically the leading wineries, although of late Chateau Pavie has been giving them a run for their money.