Bordeaux - Wine Capital of the World

Itinerary

• Day 1 - Arrive in Bordeaux

  Travelling to Bordeaux today we will be whisked to our hotel for the duration of the holiday, the 4* Hotel De Seze in the heart of the elegant centre. Jonathan Ray will host an introductory wine-tasting this evening before dinner in a local restaurant.

• Day 2 - Château Pichon-Longueville Baron & Cité du Vin

  This morning we visit the celebrated Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, an elegant 19th century chateau with a 73-hectare vineyard adjacent to that of Château Latour. We will meet Christian Seely, who has run the estate for the last 20 years, and sample some of their excellent, powerful, Cabernet-dominated wines which have a fabulous reputation. After lunch at the Chateau, we head to Bordeaux’s spectacular new museum devoted to the trade which has made it a world-renowned city – the Cité du Vin. Through a series of well-designed interactive exhibits, the museum introduces the history of viticulture on the banks of the Garonne, and the evolution of Bordeaux into the wine capital of the world. We will conclude the visit with a tasting of a variety of wines from the area, before returning to the hotel.

• Day 3 - St Emilion

  Today we will travel to the ancient city of St Emilion, just a short drive from Bordeaux, and the home of some of the most prestigious wine estates in the world thanks to its complex geology and microclimate. The family De Scheppers are third generation winemakers who first came to Bordeaux in 1938 and winemaker Jean-Michel Garcion, has been with them for over twenty years. They run three estates in the region, Château Haut Breton Larigaudière in the world-famous Margaux AOC, Château Tayet, and Tour Baladoz on the eastern edge of St Emilion, which will shall visit this morning. At their La Croizille tasting room, which is suspended over the vines, we will sample all three wines followed by a delicious lunch. In the afternoon we will wander the atmospheric centre of Saint-Emillion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with more than 2,000 years of history.

• Day 4 - Sauternes

  Following the course of the Garonne and its tributary the Ciron, we reach the Sauternes region, 25 miles southeast of Bordeaux. The unique microclimate here creates autumn mists which linger overnight on the vineyards, providing perfect conditions for the Botrytis cinerea fungus. At the elegant Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, we will learn how this ‘noble rot’ creates wines of intense sweetness. We shall sample their 1855 Premier Grand Cru Classé, produced using traditional organic methods from 18.5 hectares of gravel terraces. After sampling the wines we will enjoy an exquisite lunch in the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Château, before returning to Bordeaux in the afternoon.

• Day 5 - Departure Day

  We will depart after breakfast and return to London.