Spread across the slopes of a hill overlooking the Dordogne valley, Saint Emilion is a small medieval town that has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its vineyards have an excellent reputation, and are spread over nine communes with a very wide range of terroirs. The limestone plateau and clay-limestone slopes produce richly coloured, full-bodied, well-structured wines. Towards Pomerol, the gravel soil produces more refined wines. Traditional Bordeaux grape varieties are grown here, with a predominance of Merlot. Only the best wines are entitled to the Grand Cru appellation, most of which are located on the edge of the limestone plateau and the clay-limestone slopes. A classification of the Grands Crus was established in 1955 and is revised every ten years. It has two categories of wines: the Premiers Grands Crus Classés (A and B) and the Grands Crus Classés. This 16th century porperty is one of the oldest vineyards in Saint Emilion. Originally a Carthusian cloister, it belonged to the Dumas de Fombrauge family in the 18th century. Château Magrez Fombrauge's wines are produced with meticulous care: the grapes are picked and sorted entirely by hand and then vinified by gravity-operated system. The vinification procedures are supervised by Michel Rolland. After a period of cold maceration, fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled vats for 28 to 35 days. Vinification is organized on a plot-by-plot basis. The wines are matured in new barrels for 24 months before being bottled.