I’ve uploaded a video of our Bordeaux Winetrail to Youtube. That’s the video embedded above, just click to watch, courtesy of Roberto Peixoto.
I’ve picked out 5 personal highlights to share with you.
I love visiting this Chateau at any time. It’s the first vineyard we visit on our Bordeaux Winetrail, and is owned by Le Comte de Saint-Exupéry, distant relation of famous aviator and author Antoine.
They’re always very generous with their time at Château Tiregand, but the reason I liked this section was that half the group seem to have joined the payroll and are busy pruning the vines.
Anthony and Lyndsay Johnston, Sue Shaw, Peter How – any of you who want to explain what was going on, please do.
We spend our 3rd night on the Bordeaux Winetrail in Ste Foy la Grande. Last July a Chain Gang group turned up to see the place festooned with umbrellas.
It was part of an art installation called ‘Relooker ma rue’, which would translate as ‘refresh my road’ – it it was actually in French to start with, which it isn’t.
Isn’t it just great?
I have always thought St Emilion gets a bit of a rough deal, because it’s too famous for its wines. It should be equally famous for being a beautiful medieval village.
We eat (weather permitting, which it nearly always does) in an ancient courtyard. I love spending time in St Emilion, especially at the end of the afternoon when we arrive and the streams of daily tourists leave. The evenings are special.
This château used to be famous as the most beautiful estate in the region. Unfortunately it gained greater exposure for an entirely different reason at the end of 2013. Owner M. Gregoire had completed the sale of the estate to new owner, Chinese billionaire Lam Kok. M. Gregoire suggested they survey Mr Kok’s new estate in his proivate helicopter, and promptly crashed it into the Dordogne, killing the old owner, the new owner and the Mr Kok’s son.
Life goes on, it would seem. It’s a spectacular estate with a labyrinth of tunnels quarried into the limestone, complete with underground stream and banqueting room. A bit special.
5. Château du Raux, Haut Médoc. At 18 mins, 25 sces.
It’s hard to choose my favourite vineyard from our Bordeaux Winetrail tour. But certainly Château du Raux is one of them. The young owner, Patrick, has always been amazingly generous with his time. We often picnic in the garden ofm the château, and Patrick just provides bottles of Château du Raux on the house.
Often when we visit a vineyard, we report to the Visitor Centre, and we’re treated wonderfully by the professional wine guide. Here, Patrick and his Dad are farmers. We get a completely different view of the world of wine-making, albeit on the prestigious terroir of the haut médoc.
