The Saint-Chinian appellation tends to be underestimated: on the one hand, because it is close (to the west) to the smaller but far better known Faugères appellation, and to the east it is overshadowed by the large Corbières growing area, which extends almost to the Spanish border. On the other hand - and this is probably decisive - the appellation is divided into two parts in terms of terroir: the northern part is dominated by slate soils (as in Faugères), while the southern part (closer to the sea) is dominated by clay and limestone soils, which naturally produces very different wines. In addition, the best wines (at least the best-known wines) probably come from the two sub-appellations Saint-Chinian Berlou and Saint-Chinian Roquebrun. A confusion that only connoisseurs of the Languedoc appellations can untangle.