Montagne-Saint-Émilion

In the center of Saint-Emilion, in a privileged site, Montagne is a commune whose past is strongly marked by history. In 1843, in Petit Corbin, the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa were discovered. From the richness of its ornaments, some historians believe that this villa belonged, in the 4th century, to the famous poet and consul Ausone.

In the 5th century, Montagne was invaded by barbarians. During the Middle Ages, Montagne was a prosperous city. In 1318, it became part of the English crown. With about twenty other parishes, it belonged to the lordship of Puynormand whose limits were formed by the Isle, the Barbanne and the current borders of the departments of the Gironde and the Dordogne.

In 1973, Montagne merged with the communes of Saint-Georges and Parsac to form a single commune: Montagne.

From this rich past, Montagne has kept some beautiful monuments. First of all, the church of Montagne itself (classified as a historical monument), dedicated to Saint-Martin. It has, according to Auguste Brutails, "one of the rarest ribbed domes of the 12th century". The castle of Tours, residence of the lords of Calvimont, built in the 14th century, reworked in the 16th century and "restored" in the 19th century by Viollet le Duc. In Parsac, you can also see the beautiful Romanesque church dedicated to Notre Dame, a former fortified house, as well as the ruins of the Malengin castle (15th century). Here and there, while strolling through the vineyard, you can discover some 16th century houses and other mills.

In addition to these vestiges, in various points of the commune, one can enjoy magnificent panoramas. On the hill of Calon, located one kilometer northwest of the church of Saint-Martin, on a clear day, the walker can enjoy an exceptional view as far as the Charentes and can count about thirty bell towers.

But if Montagne, by its past and its marvelous sites, deserves our attention, it is not less true for its wine production and the visceral attachment of its inhabitants to its soil and its traditions. So much so that they have created a wine house, an eco-museum and a museum of the winegrower, or have welcomed in their commune the agricultural high school known as "Libourne-Montagne", one of the very first in France in terms of wine training and higher education in the wine field.

As we have already said, the terroir of Montagne is quite similar to that of the Saint-Emilion appellation area, which is confirmed by studies and work done by Professor Seguin and Cornelis van Leeuwen (1989). The slopes are generally limestone to clay-limestone soils resting on a limestone subsoil with asteria. On the slopes and plateaus, in addition to these same types of soils, we find silico-clay soils with a subsoil that is sometimes ferruginous. In some places, the soil is silty.