Bordeaux wine regions

Wine in Bordeaux

Bordeaux is the most famous wine region in the world, I would say. It is divided into Médoc, Haut Médoc, Margaux, St. Emilion, Pomerol, Pauillac, Saint Estéphe, Saint Julien and Pessac-Leognan. Then there is of course Sauterners, the home of the famous Chateau d'Yquem and other sweet wines

Bordeaux wine map from www.terroir-france.com

When thinking of visiting the Bordeaux wine region, there are many things to consider. If you want to visit some chateaux, it is not that simple. The reason for this is not simple arrogance of the producers, who really do not need any visitors, but moreover the distribution system. Top wine makers in Bordeaux do not need any marketing at all. There is a subscription system. Premier Grand Cru Classé producers sell wine futures 2 years in advance. If you want to go to Chateau Haut Brion for example, you can not even purchase any wine at site. They refer you to one of the retailers. This unique situation enables the producers to focus solely on the quality of their wine. If you want to visit, it is best to arrange a visit beforehand. For some chateaux you can visit and book a tour which will have a certain entry cost. The top chateaux do not charge but require prior reservation.

Most Bordeaux wines are aged in central French oak barrels used or not for at least 12 months before bottling at site. The top wine producers will generally age their wine for 18 months in new French oak barrels before bottling.  If they are bottled at site, the label of the bottle can say "mis en bouteille a chateau...". The reason I am mentioning this is that this method is used with all top wine productions. Another difference between Bordeaux and other wine regions is that in general the vines of the top producers are older than for example in the Toscana in Italy, being as old as 30 years or more for the top wines. Another difference is that no irrigation is allowed and the grapes are handpicked.

Moulis en Médoc

Moulis en Médoc is one of the most interesting regions in Bordeaux which has a micro climate within the region of Bordeaux. You can feel this micro climate when you are there. The grapes used are not in the usual proportions as they are in the other regions.

Chateau Maucaillou

Chateau Maucaillou

The Chateau Maucaillou is a unique area with a wine that has a very good price/quality ratio. The cuvée consists of41% Merlot, 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot. This is an interesting combination unlike the wines of other regions. Chateau Maucaillou uses Petit Verdot instead of Cabernet Franc. The chateau is owned by the Dourthe family who are also wine merchants. On this occasion we booked a tour and paid an entrance for the tour and wine tasting. You also receive a tasting glass after the tour.

Vines in Moulis en Médoc

Wine cellar and bottles

Different bottle sizes

The tour of the chateau takes you around the premises with a tour of the production facilities, steel tanks and wine cellar. 

Tasting room

In the tasting room they explain how to properly taste wine and proper nosing. This is definitely an interesting experience for anyone not familiar with these things yet. They really explained everything very well. After the tasting you can also buy wine in the boutique. 

Pessac-Leognan

Château Haut-Brion, Château la Mission Haut-Brion

The Chateau Haut-Brion is one of the most famous wine producers in the world an probably needs no introduction. At the time we visited the chateau, Chateau Haut-Brion was closed for renovations. The wine production was obviously not closed but I could only book a tour for the Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion. We had a tour together with an American lady. I would like to mention that if you book the tours in advance, they ask who you are and you give them your contact details but the tour is then free of charge. It is up to each individual chateau to give you a tour or not.

Chateau Haut-Brion entrance

Chateau Haut-Brion

Entrance to Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

The Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion and the Chateau Haut-Brion are opposite each other. They now have the same owner but used to be different wine makers. People often mistake them for being one producer. The Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion originally was a monastery with simple monks producing the wine. It still has a chapel on its territory. 

Vines at the Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

Building on Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

After a tour of the chateau we were invited into the cellar as well as wine tasting. The Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion is a cuvée of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc.

Steel tanks in Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

Wine cellar in Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

Tasting room with the original ship that used to be on top of the building

Wines we tasted from both the Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion and the Chateau Haut-Brion

The Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion also produces a second wine, the La Chapelle de la Mission, which is a wonderful wine which is made from younger vines and is more affordable. As I previously mentioned, I asked about purchasing wine at site and was told to go to one of the local shops in the city of Bordeaux or buy wine futures. 

Pauillac

Anybody interested in Bordeaux wine will be familiar with wines of Pauillac. The most famous wines of this appellation are Château Lafite, Château Latour, Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. The grapes mainly used in Pauillac are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. I would also describe Pauillac as the snobbiest and most unfriendly appellation of Bordeaux. When trying to reserve a tour, this is quite difficult without special acquaintances who organise this for you. 

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

 We spontaneously planned our tour through Bordeaux and we basically visited each region asking whether or not we could have a tour. In Paulliac and at Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande it was not possible to book a tour without prior reservation. This was a pity but was to be expected. The main wine consists of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 12% Petit Verdot.

Château Latour

Chateau Latour entrance

This was another chateau we simply passed by and took pictures at. It is one of the most prestigious wine producers in Bordeaux. I did not arrange a tour beforehand so there was no way at getting a tour on the day we were there but at this point we also did not really have that much time any more. The main wine consists of 75 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc and 1 % Petit Verdot. It is considered to be one of the best wines in the world.

Saint-Julien

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

This chateau in Saint-Julien is famous for its yellow label and its distinct harsh/strong taste of Cabernet Sauvignon. The main wine consists of about 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. We went to this chateau on the way from Pauillac and I just went inside and asked for a tour. They gave us one. What I have not mentioned yet is that of course I spoke French to everyone, which helps. They showed us the grounds, the vineyard and we went into a tasting room. They were very nice, asked where we were from. Being Austrian from Vienna is always good in France. When we left they asked us if we like everything and said that they will be happy if we speak well of their wine abroad. This is one of the top wine producers in Bordeaux. If you look it up, you will see that the bottle prices are on the very high end level. Nonetheless they are forthcoming and even 1 day before the 14th of July, they gave us a tour in the afternoon apologising that it can not be thorough enough because most people have left already as there is a big holiday the next day. This was a very pleasant experience. I strongly recommend to visit this chateau, which is one of the more grander ones from the outside. If you visit one of the wine shops along the way, you will be able to buy the second wine of Ducru Beaucaillou which is well worth the money.

St. Emilion

St. Emilion is probably most famous for the wines  Château Cheval Blanc and Château Angelus which are 1 Grand Cru Classé wines. The wines usually have a higher percentage of Merlot in their cuvées. From a traveller's point of view this is probably the best region to visit. I would also suggest booking a hotel in St. Emilion and visiting all the chateaux from there. The village has several restaurants and bars as well as nice hotels. 

View of the St. Emilion village

In St. Emilion one can just go to the tourist centre and actually see a map of the area. It is also possible to book bus tours or other tours to vineyards. These will all be tours of not so interesting chateaux for mass tourists. As I have explained before, the best wine producers are in no need of visitors whatsoever.

Old St. Emilion

Bread shop in St. Emilion

Inside view of the Boulangerie

Wine shop in St. Emilion

Steep slippery path between the top of the old village and the bottom

The bottom of the city is connected by old paths which are actually quite dangerous to walk on and by the roads going down. Again, heels are not recommended for the ladies.

Chateau Canon

Once again I did not opt for the tourist office and saw an interesting chateau, the chateau Canon and just asked whether or not a tour would be possible, again speaking French of course. A note on the side, there is always someone who speaks English and most tours will be in English anyways, but it is of course a sign of respect and beneficial to speak French. The French appreciate your interest for their culture and are then generally more open to show you around. We came there and asked for a tour and they told us that this would be possible only in the afternoon.

Entrance of Chateau Canon

Chateau Canon grounds

Chateau Canon garden

Chateau Canon garden and statue

Chateau Canon vines

Vines

Chateau Canon

We were eventually granted a full tour of the Chateau Canon. They told us that there is a little problem however. I asked them what that is. They said the tour would be with Russians and if we would not mind taking the tour with them. They apologised for the inconvenience  I said that I would be fine with it, not telling them that I speak Russian myself and know the mentality and many people from that country... As it turned out, a young Russian couple (about our age) came to the tour and the tour was in English. The couple seemingly had no knowledge of wine whatsoever but seemed very decent. We did not tell them afterwards that we understood every word they said during the tour and the comments they made but could not hold back some smirks. 

Treasures in the wine cellar

The tour was typical with an elaborate explanation of the wine making process and the background of the chateau. What was interesting was that the chateau had been bought by the family Wertheimer, a jewish family. For those of you who do not know them, currently the two brothers own the brand Chanel. Their father was the one who sponsored Coco Chanel and supported her in establishing a now world widely known brand. It is also rumoured that they had had some sort of affair. The lady that gave the tour said that the two brothers come once in a while and have dinners drinking some of the treasures which are still kept in the cellar. 

Secret old passages connecting the chateaux of St. Emilion

Unexpectedly we found out some more interested information about Chateau Canon and St. Emilion. As you can see on the picture, there are secret passages within the cellar. These passages connect all chateaux in St. Emilion in underground paths. Nowadays the entrances to each chateau are blocked by a door or gate but this was not always the case. During the Nazi occupation in World War 2, these passages were used as escape routes. Apparently the owners of chateau Canon also hid the wine underground in fear of the Nazis stealing the wine during time of occupation. Personally I think that this is somewhat of a myth because the area of the passages is very moist and cold and not suitable for wine storage but who knows. 

Wine cellar

Last but not least we tasted the wine. The wine is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. This is a very high percentage of Merlot. Needless to say, this is high end wine, one of the best Bordeaux has to offer. This chateau was very interesting to me because of the history behind it and that of the owners. It was very interesting to find out about the secret passages and what had happened earlier. Again, I would like to say that this was a tour where I basically just knocked on the door and we were offered this tour free of charge.

Château Figeac

This is a chateau which is very hard to find. There are no signs to point towards it. I asked several people and it is quite hard to find. I have not mentioned yet that there are no proper road signs or house numbers in St. Emilion or Bordeaux for that matter. Therefore it is not that easy for visitors or just simple tourists to find these places unless they are invited. The reason for that I will not repeat. If you do not know what Chateau Figeac looks like, you will now recognise it. As it is one of the most famous wines in the world, I did want to have a look at least. For those of you interested in price of the wine, this is one of the most expensive chateaux along with Petrus from Pomerol.

Chateau Figeac

Upon arriving there, I could see no office or anybody to talk to. We had other plans anyway and limited time and knowing the top chateaux, I knew that it was probably going to be quite difficult to arrange a tour there. This chateau is as unapproachable as are the prices of its wine which seems to be intentional and probably remain this way.

Château Angélus

This is a wonderful chateau which you can hardly see from the street. This is most probably intentional as solicitors are not wanted there or anywhere else near the top chateaux in St. Emilion or elsewhere in Bordeaux. I do not want to repeat myself in regard to the marketing of top Bordeaux wines but I do want to state that once you drive up and down the roads of St. Emilion and the other regions and are not granted entrance or a tour, you do get the point.

Château Angélus

It is also somewhat of an interesting story, how I managed to get a tour of the chateau Angelus. I am a persistent person. We went to the tourist centre and asked about this chateau. I checked out the website. I called. I asked if we could arrange a tour. When I called them, there was a James Bond theme. This is due to the fact that in one of the new James Bond movies with Daniel Craig, he drank a Chateau Angelus. When I called, I could not arrange a tour. I called more than once. Then we went there. I went into the office. Spoke French to them, asked for a tour and left my number. They said that they would call back but did not. I told them that the day after would be my last day and we would have to leave after that. On that same day I came back and asked them again to arrange a tour insisting that they confirm on the spot. They looked in the calendar and confirmed a tour the next day. Once again it was somewhat amusing that they told me that there is a slight problem. They said that they can give me a tour but there would be Americans present and that they apologise for the inconvenience but on short notice this was the only possibility for the next day. I agreed to the tour of course and said that this is no problem.

The Bell of Angélus

Grounds of the château

Vines of Château Angélus

Chapel of Château Angélus and vineyard 

Cellar of Château Angélus

The tour of the chateau itself was very elaborate. The American visitors asked questions such as "how are the steel tanks brought into the building with the doors being so small?". Obviously the roof was opened, the roof of the storage buildings. These American visitors were dressed in shorts and sandals which I think is disrespectful to such a great chateau. The Chateau Angelus like all great chateaux in Bordeaux is a hidden one. Their wine is simply incredible an among my personal favourites. The wine itself is a cuvée of 50 % Merlot, 47 % Cabernet Franc and 3 % Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines are above 30 years of age on average. Once again this is a chateau where you do not buy the wine directly with them. You buy wine futures if you want to buy the first wine. If you want to buy the second wine, you can do so after the wine tasting. The second wine is called the Le Carillon d'Angelus. It is more affordable but also amazing. On a personal note I would like to say that I was very touched by a kind member of the owner family of the chateau. After hearing my last name, they asked about my father who used to be a wine merchant importing Bordeaux wines to Austria. They called me into the office and showed me the business cards from 1989 which they had kept. This is a tradition. The Chateau Angélus is a place which I will always remember and visiting it was a great pleasure. I would like to mention that this is a place I just went to, which is one of the best chateaux in the world. After being persistent, they offered a tour. I did not mention anything in the past, business relations or anything of the sort. The people at the Chateau Angélus were friendly and treated us with the utmost respect and courtesy. Next time I visit the Bordeaux region, I will definitely return.

Restaurant La Puce

Restaurant La Puce

After leaving Château Angélus we went to a little restaurant called La Puce. The translation of the restaurant is "the flea". Does not sound very inviting, just as the building the restaurant is in. This restaurant was recommended to us by the guide who was with the Americans at Château Angélus. The directions were very simple.... Just go along the road, to the end, turn right and you will find it opposite an abandoned gas station. This is typical for the charm of France and the region. The simple things are often the best. Unfortunately I did not take any more pictures of the food as we were a little tired. We entered and were offered a table. They bring a carafe of wine along with some water straight away as well as starters. The starters are a selection of meat cold cuts. There is no menu, I might add. After the starters someone came with a large old fashioned soup bowl which they put on our table. You could take as much soup as you wished. When you were done they would ask if they can take it away. After that they served a big plate of grilled/fried meat with side dishes. The portions for the two of us were at least twice as much as we could eat. After the main course they came along with some cheese and deserts. You could take off the platter whatever you wanted. They also offered coffee. Around us were locals, some seemed to managers with more expensive clothes and golden Rolex watches. Others seemed to be simple people, working on the vineyards. They all sat together and ate. I thought that I should have worked on the field that day in order to finish everything we were offered there. In between an elderly lady came over to us and asked us "how are the young people doing?". I asked her what she meant and she replied that she is over 80 and that we are the young people to her. I found that quite charming. She then saw that we had little bread left and immediately ordered some more bread for us. She was the owner. When it came to paying the bill, with great astonishment I saw that the bill was 36 Euros. We paid 40 Euros and left, having had a wonderful an surprising experience making us love this country, the terroir and the people even more than we could have ever imagined.

Pomerol

Pomerol is generally a region of the wine I prefer in Bordeaux as there is a greater percentage of Merlot in the wine.

Centre of Pomerol

Main road in Pomerol

Pomerol is a small place, nonetheless very famous for wine. The most famous wine of Pomerol is the Château Pétrus which is probably the most expensive wine money can buy. It is in Pomerol and is not classified as Mouton Rotschild or others are but in its own classification. When you drive to Pomerol, you see almost nothing but vineyards.

Vineyards in Pomerol

Pomerol is generally an interesting but small wine region within Bordeaux with many interesting châteaux producing very good wine with a good quality/price ratio. 

Bordeaux, Bordeaux City

Bordeaux is probably the most prestigious wine region of France and therefore the world. The techniques of wine production in Bordeaux have been copied all over the world. The region has a unique micro climate because of the Gironde flowing through it. I find it quite difficult to describe a region like Bordeaux because it is one of a kind with many facets concerning the so called terroir and the people likewise. I will elaborate on this later. This will probably be one of my biggest blog entries because the experience there was probably the most interesting one I ever had, definitely concerning the wine. If one is not yet acquainted with wine and wine production, the Bordeaux region is definitely the place where you can learn most about wine.

Bordeaux City

The city of Bordeaux is also quite a nice city with many nice restaurants along the river bank which locals like to frequent on summer evenings. Like in every city, one has to look around first and pick out the ones which look good, which I have successfully done I think.

City centre Bordeaux

City centre Bordeaux

Typical restaurant in the city centre

Church

Monument aux Girondins

The Monument aux Girondins is the main fountain in Bordeaux. We were told by locals that the metal statues were supposed to be taken down during the occupation in World War 2 in order to be smelted and to be used as ammunition. The people of Bordeaux however dissembled the statues themselves and hid them from the Nazis and later reassembled them after the war. 

River

City view from the river

Place de la Bourse

Restaurant Fernand

This is a restaurant we found while wandering around the city. The locals frequent the restaurant around 9 p.m. It is conveniently located at the river bank. The atmosphere is very nice because you can really see that people are enthusiastic about the food they eat and you can see the locals glancing over at each others tables, looking what the others are eating. I decided to try a beaf tartare. I was more than surprised with the quality.

Waiter preparing the tartare at our table

Waiter mixing the marinade to taste

The waiter asked me how much salt, oil, ketchup, spices etc. I would like. it was interesting to see how they prepare it right in front of you. It does not really get any fresher than this. The presentation was perfect.

Steak Tartare freshly prepared

The end result of the tartare he prepared was, without exaggeration, simply amazing. This was a wonderfully fresh tartare with the combination of spices evolving in your mouth while you were eating it. 

Mixed sea food platter

We also had a mixed sea food platter which was also fresh with excellent taste. Around us, a lot of the locals had a large oyster dish which is also famous in the area and highly recommended. This is a typical place for people watching.

14th of July

As you probably know, the 14th of July is the French national holiday. People go wild on the streets for the whole night. Everybody goes out and eats and drinks wherever possible. It was interesting to see how cultivated the country is. People would either go to restaurants, which you would probably have to book way in advance, or they would get a bottle of wine, glasses and some cold cuts, baguette and cheese and just sit somewhere on a bench or along the street. Apart from that, there was a huge parade. If you want to have a nice evening on the 14th of July, or sit quietly in a restaurant, you can forget about that. Many people avoid big cities on this national holiday.

Vive la France!

Helicopter flying at the parade

Military Parade

Parachute jumpers

The enthusiasm and love of the French for their country could really be felt here on the 14th of July. It was an interesting experience. We found no place to sit, have glass of wine, dinner or anything else but still enjoyed the experience.

Elio's Ristorante

Elio's is a Sardinian restaurant which we discovered while wandering around the city of Bordeaux. After all the French wines and French cuisine, it was nice to have a simple Italian dinner.

Simple delicious pasta with bacon

Ravioli with meat filling in tomato sauce

The restaurant was simple and down to earth with simple seating and big portions we could barely eat. The wine was a Sardinian wine poured into a clay jug and then poured into our glasses. We also tried a sweet Sardinian wine as an aperitif. Overall a nice experience with friendly staff.