Château Villemaurine: Vineyards
Château Villemaurine is located at the top of the town of St Emilion, very close to the roundabout, set slightly to the east. There is a great concentration of châteaux and vineyards here, so the estate is surrounded by noteworthy neighbours. Perhaps the closest neighbour of significance is Château La Couspaude, literally a few steps along the road as it heads east out towards Château Trotte Vieille. The vineyards sit behind the château as you look at it from the roadside, and they are thus positioned directly east of the town of St Emilion, and they run down to the vines of Château La Serre, Château La Clotte and Château Le Prieuré.
The estate covers 12 hectares of the appellation all told, of which 7 hectares is ranked as grand cru classé, planted in a single block as described above. This places the vines directly on top of the limestone plateau, the soil underfoot sandy and silty on the western part, a richer clay in the eastern part, and beneath there lies the prized Calcaire à Astéries. There is a vey subtle incline to the north, the land running down towards the back of the town (as pictured), but it is gentle and it would be unfair to describe this part of the vineyard as north-facing.
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