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Bordeaux Wine Festival Tour
Tour Duration : 9 Days
Tour Category : Festival Tour, Gourmet/Gastronomy Tour, Wine Tour
Day
1:
Pick up mid-afternoon from the airport, rail station or your hotel in
Bordeaux, then drive to the Médoc. Continue to our accommodation at Pavilion
de Margaux. Dinner will be in the dining room of the hotel.
Day 2:
Start this morning with a visit to Chateau Lascombes at 10:00 with our good
friend Bruno Lemoine, the manager of the chateau. Then on to Chateau Maucaillou
for a visit of the chais and their wine museum followed by lunch. We visit Chateau
Mouton Rothschild at 14:00, where we will see the famous museum of Baron Philippe
and have a tasting of this famous first growth. We then drive just a few miles
to Chateau Lafite Rothschild where we will see their magnificent round chais.
After this marathon day of winetasting, you will need a little rest before dinner!
Day 3:
We start the day with a visit to Chateau Margaux at 10:00 where we visit with
our good friend Madame Bizard. We may have a chance to see the cooper here depending
on his schedule. We continue to St. Julien to Chateau Beychevelle for an 11:30
visit, followed by lunch in the chateau. After lunch we visit Chateau Pichon
Longueville at 14:30, then end the day with a visit to Chateau Lynch-Bages at
16:30. Tonight we dine at the table of Jean-Paul Barbier, a now world-famous
chef in whose restaurant the Lion d'Or close to Margaux we often eat with some
of the Médoc's best winemakers.
Day 4:
Check out of our accommodations in the Médoc and drive into Bordeaux to visit
Chateau Haut Brion at 11:00, the only First Growth not in the Médoc. We drive
on further into the Graves region, where after lunch we visit Chateau Smith
Haut-Lafitte at 15:30. This chateau produces wonderful red wines as well as
excellent dry whites! From here we take a drive to view the beautiful rolling
countryside and chateaux of Sauternes, arriving at Chateau d'Arbieu, the home
of Count and Countess Philippe de Chenerilles. Here we enjoy a wonderful evening
as we dine at the table of these great friends.
Day 5:
We take our leave of Philippe and Isabelle, and stop at Chateau Suduiraut
at 11:00 for a taste of one of Sauternes' top producers. We continue with
a drive through the Sauternes countryside, viewing the beautiful chateaux
of the region, arriving at Chateau de Commarque for a specially-prepared
lunch, featuring of course the wines of Sauternes. After lunch we head
to St. Emilion, where we first visit the Premier Grand Crus Classé estate
of Chateau Beausejour Becot at 15:30, one of St. Emilion's finest Premier
Grand Crus Classé estates. The rest of the afternoon is free to settle
into your hotel and start to discover St. Emilion's rich cultural heritage.
We stay tonight at the Logis des Remparts, right in the heart of town,
and eat at the Michélin-starred Hostellerie de Plaisance overlooking the
rooftops of the village.
Day 6:
This morning we start out with an early morning visit to the Premier Grand Crus
Classé estate of Chateau Troplong Mondot at 9:30. Here we taste, talk and enjoy
great overviews of the St. Emilion countryside from the highest estate in the
appellation. We continue with a visit to Chateau Soutard at 11:00. We will lunch
in the square of St. Emilion and then take a short drive, or walk if you prefer,
to Chateau Belair at 14:30. Château Belair, a Premier Grand Cru Classé, is a
small property of only 7 hectares and is home to one of St. Emilion's greatest
winemakers, Pascal Delbeck who runs the property with his wife Madeline. While
visiting Château Belair, we will taste, talk and also walk through the amazing
limestone caves which are carved three layers deep under the vineyards. We can
possibly add a late afternoon visit to Clos de l'Eglise with Silvaine Garcin
if you wish. Dinner this evening is at the tiny restaurant of Francis Goullée.
After one of Francis' meals you will be asking, along with many others, why
he has not yet received a star from Michélin. Certainly one of the best chefs
I have met, and the nicest service you could wish for.
Day 7:
This morning we start out with visit at Canon la Gafelliere at 10:00, one of
St. Emilion's star performers and also the home of La Mondotte, a wine which
has received uncommon attention in the last two years. After this we leave you
free to lunch on your own in the village and enjoy St. Emilion's many points
of interest, not least the historic monolithic church and of course the many
shops. If you prefer, we can opt to take a drive to see more of the surrounding
vineyards this afternoon. We dine quite lightly this evening at a local bistro,
as we don't want to miss the festivities of the street party which occupies
the entire village tonight. Dancing, theatre, and a horse-drawn cart dispensing
free "country" wine through the streets attract most of the surrounding neighborhood
to make St. Emilion "the" place to be on this occasion!
Day
8:
Today is devoted to the Fete des Fleurs. We start with a buffet breakfast
with the Jurade (the Confrèrie of winemakers of St. Emilion) as they muster
to don their ceremonial robes for their procession to the church for mass.
During the mass and the investiture ceremonies which follow you are free
to attend or find you own diversion for a while if you prefer, (sometimes
we slip off to Libourne for a look at the open market) then we meet again
to join the Jurade for lunch. Lunch occupies the rest of the afternoon,
beginning with a champagne reception and followed by many courses and
about a dozen of St. Emilion's finest wines. At the end of this marathon
you will be glad of the chance to stretch your legs, as we walk out to
the ramparts of the village to our vantage point to watch the Jurade make
the proclamation of the start of the growing season from the top of the
Tour du Roi, the tall tower of the keep of the village. Needless to say,
we leave dinner open tonight for those who still have an appetite!
Day 9:
Transfer after breakfast to the airport or rail station for your connection
to Paris or other destination.
This Itinerary is subject to change due to chateau schedules, and the requests
of our guests. In general, however the visits will be as outlined here.
Note: Tour and Tour Information are subject to change.
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