Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion

Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion is an appellation situated at the heart of the 'satellite' titles of the Saint-Émilion appellation in the Libournais subregion on Bordeaux's right bank. The other three Saint-Émilion satellite appellations are Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion, Montagne-Saint-Émilion, and Lussac-Saint-Émilion, all of which lie north of the town of Saint-Émilion.

Like its neighboring appellations, the AOC produces only red wines, typically based on the Merlot variety. Other permitted varieties include Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmenère, although the latter is rarely, if ever, used. The total vineyard area of the appellation spans approximately 731 hectares.

The vineyards are predominantly planted on clay-limestone soils with scattered patches of alluvial gravel. The underlying limestone allows the vine roots to access water even during dry periods.

Among the satellite appellations, Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion enforces the strictest production regulations. The original legal framework for the AOC classification specifies the exact plots where grapes must be grown. To qualify as Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion, vineyards must have a density of no less than 5,500 vines per hectare and contain a minimum of 187 grams of residual sugar per liter. After fermentation (including chaptalization and concentration techniques), the wines must reach a minimum alcohol content of 11%. As with the other satellite appellations, there are no Grand Cru classifications here.