Libourne (Saint-Emilion)

Often missed due to beautiful Bordeaux to the west and Saint-Emilion to the south-east, the town of Libourne sits at the confluence of the Dordogne and Isle Rivers. Libourne itself is a small administrative and commercial center; there is a port for ocean-going vessels, although traffic is limited, and the town is the center of a wine-producing district. Libourne takes its name from Roger de Leyburn, English seneschal of Gascony, who founded it as a bastide (fortified town) in 1270.

But more importantly, this is the Right Bank of Bordeaux. Most famous for the wines made here and in the nearby region of Pomerol, wine made here in Liournais is Merlot. Some of the most prized Merlot based wines are produced in the area around the town of Libourne. One of the the Libournais’ most celebrated areas, Saint-Émilion borders the Dordogne River about 80 miles east of the town of Bordeaux. The village of St-Émilion has remarkably remained nearly unchanged since the middle ages.