The Wine Connect Bordeaux Tour kicked off last night 4/7 when we went out to dinner in Paris to Ze Kitchen Garllerie bis. We had a fabulous meal and today we catch the TGV down to Bordeaux.
BORDEAUX 2015 TOUR DETAILS
Sunday 5/7
The Wine Connect Bordeaux tour members received a talk and tasting from Bordeaux expert Dewey Markham Jr. Dewey's capacity to disseminate information on the Bordeaux region in an entertaining and informative way has no equal. He joined us for dinner afterwards where he patiently answered everyone's questions whilst we tasted the 2010 Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste, 2010 Domaine de Chevalier and 2010 Chateau La Pointe.
Monday 6/7 AM. The Wine-Connect 2015 Bordeaux tour had it's 1st winery visit today with a trip to Chateau Lafite. Nicholas, our host, took us on a tour of the extensive cellars which included background information of the Rothschild family and Chateau history as well as the soil profile and the significance of the individual varieties in the final blend.
This excellent visit concluded with a tasting of the 2007 Chateau Lafite. The 2007 vintage was considered to be an unremarkable year but this was a truly excellent wine.
Monday 6/7 PM
At the conclusion of our visit to Chateau Lafite we took the drive to the village of Margaux and we visited Chateau Lascombes where we sat and took a glass of champagne in the shade before having lunch in the Chateau. Lunch was served with the excellent 2008 Chateau Lascombes and it's second label 2008 Chevalier Lascombes. Karine, our hostess then took us on a guided tour of their beautiful cellars. Interestingly the second year barrel room had been emptied out in preparation for a concert to be held there tomorrow night.
We finished the day with a quick look at Chateau Margaux as we drove by.
Sauternes Tuesday 7/7.
Today the Wine-Connect Bordeaux tour headed out to Sauternes where we spent the morning at Chateau La Tour Blanche. Didier, our host, took us on a tour of the vineyard and gave an excellent explanation of botrytis infection and the production of Sauternes.
A tour of the cellars followed and then a tasting of three beautiful sauternes, the newly released Brumes de La Tour Blanche 2013 followed by the Les Charmilles de La Tour Blanche 2010 and the top of the range Chateau La Tour Blanche 2009.
We concluded our tour with a lovely lunch at Le Saprien.
Sauternes Tuesday continued after lunch when we visited Chateau d'Yquem. Our hostess, Anne, took us on a tour of the d'Yquem grounds whilst explaining what it is that makes d'Yquem unique. Then it was down in to the cellars where we saw the barrels being topped before we headed upstairs to the newly renovated tasting room. The door of the tasting room is an overhead photograph looking down on bottles of Chateau d'Yquem at various ages, hence the different colours. It was then that we tasted the spectacular 2005 vintage whilst having a chat with winemaker Sandrine Garbay. A brilliant day thanks to Didier at La Tour Blanche and Sandrine at d'Yquem.
Wednesday 8/7.
The Wine-Connect Bordeaux Tour rolled onto the historic medieval town of Saint Emilion where we encountered a Ferrari being hoisted onto the back of a tray truck.I heard someone say the word schadenfreude!
After lunch and a walking tour of the town and it's incredible monolithic church we moved on to Chateau Figeac where Gwenaelle took us on a tour of the winery before a tasting of the lovely 2011 Petit Figeac and the spectacular 2009 Chateau Figeac.
Thursday 9/7
The Wine-Connect Bordeaux tour headed out to the Bordeaux suburb of Talence where the vineyards of Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion are surrounded by the University, Hospital and ever increasing number of houses.
Both Chateaux are owned by the Prince of Luxembourg and so we are lucky enough to visit and try both Chateaux in the afternoon. As we wander through the beautiful gardens the TGV fast train screams past providing us with a stark contrast between modern technology and the oldest recognised 1st Growth winery, Chateau Haut-Brion. Our visit concluded with a tasting of the excellent 2007 vintage of both wines.
Also included are 2 photos of the view of beautiful central Bordeaux from my Hotel room.
Friday 10/7, AM.
Today is our last day on the road and so we head back up the Medoc for a visit to Chateau Sociando Mallet. Sociando is a rare beast in the Medoc as it was started in the 1960's rather than going back 150 years or more.
After our tour of the cellars we enjoyed a tasting of the delightful second label, Demoiselle 2012 and the truly excellent 1st label Chateau Sociando Mallet 2012 on the balcony of their tasting room looking out across the beautiful vineyard down to the Gironde estuary.
Later on we enjoyed a stunning bottle of the 2000 Sociando over lunch at a wonderful little restaurant called La Gare Gourmande.
Friday 10/7, PM.
Our day and the tour concluded with a visit to Chateau Prieure-Lichine in Margaux. This vineyard started its life as a Priory, hence it's name and it fell into private hands after the French revolution.
Like many wineries in the Medoc, there has been a great deal of money spent on the vineyard and winery in recent times and here we saw these unique concrete fermentation vessels for the first time.
Our visit concluded with a tasting of the delightful Chateau Prieure Lichine 2011.
We concluded our tour with a lovely lunch at Le Saprien.
Sauternes Tuesday continued after lunch when we visited Chateau d'Yquem. Our hostess, Anne, took us on a tour of the d'Yquem grounds whilst explaining what it is that makes d'Yquem unique. Then it was down in to the cellars where we saw the barrels being topped before we headed upstairs to the newly renovated tasting room. The door of the tasting room is an overhead photograph looking down on bottles of Chateau d'Yquem at various ages, hence the different colours. It was then that we tasted the spectacular 2005 vintage whilst having a chat with winemaker Sandrine Garbay. A brilliant day thanks to Didier at La Tour Blanche and Sandrine at d'Yquem.
Wednesday 8/7.
The Wine-Connect Bordeaux Tour rolled onto the historic medieval town of Saint Emilion where we encountered a Ferrari being hoisted onto the back of a tray truck.I heard someone say the word schadenfreude!
After lunch and a walking tour of the town and it's incredible monolithic church we moved on to Chateau Figeac where Gwenaelle took us on a tour of the winery before a tasting of the lovely 2011 Petit Figeac and the spectacular 2009 Chateau Figeac.
Thursday 9/7
The Wine-Connect Bordeaux tour headed out to the Bordeaux suburb of Talence where the vineyards of Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion are surrounded by the University, Hospital and ever increasing number of houses.
Both Chateaux are owned by the Prince of Luxembourg and so we are lucky enough to visit and try both Chateaux in the afternoon. As we wander through the beautiful gardens the TGV fast train screams past providing us with a stark contrast between modern technology and the oldest recognised 1st Growth winery, Chateau Haut-Brion. Our visit concluded with a tasting of the excellent 2007 vintage of both wines.
Also included are 2 photos of the view of beautiful central Bordeaux from my Hotel room.
Friday 10/7, AM. Today is our last day on the road and so we head back up the Medoc for a visit to Chateau Sociando Mallet. Sociando is a rare beast in the Medoc as it was started in the 1960's rather than going back 150 years or more.
After our tour of the cellars we enjoyed a tasting of the delightful second label, Demoiselle 2012 and the truly excellent 1st label Chateau Sociando Mallet 2012 on the balcony of their tasting room looking out across the beautiful vineyard down to the Gironde estuary.
Later on we enjoyed a stunning bottle of the 2000 Sociando over lunch at a wonderful little restaurant called La Gare Gourmande.
Friday 10/7, PM.
Our day and the tour concluded with a visit to Chateau Prieure-Lichine in Margaux. This vineyard started its life as a Priory, hence it's name and it fell into private hands after the French revolution.
Like many wineries in the Medoc, there has been a great deal of money spent on the vineyard and winery in recent times and here we saw these unique concrete fermentation vessels for the first time.
Our visit concluded with a tasting of the delightful Chateau Prieure Lichine 2011.
