The Bordeaux Wine Region

Given how many Bordeaux wines I’ve made, I was very eager to learn more about the Bordeaux region itself. As I experienced in Chinon and Vouvray and Bourgogne and Chalon-sur-Saône, it was a challenge to secure appointments at châteaux during their busiest time of year. But with a little help from my friends I managed a visit in Pauillac and Saint Emilion (thank you Heidi and Hélène).

To get the mental cogs really turning, the kids and I spent a few hours at the Cité du Vin museum in Bordeaux one morning. It was an amazing experience for both the kids and I with our varying levels of wine knowledge. Not only was the exterior of the building itself quite unique (almost shaped like a decanter) but the way it was setup was very interactive. We were each provided a headset and smartphone-type device which, when placed in a specific spot, directed us with exhibit-specific audio or video. Very cool that Lilia was able to build a barrel as part of one of the exhibits, and Max was kicked out of a ceiling-projected adults only music video focusing on the romance of wine! We all had a great time in the aromatics section, where we were exposed to a range of smells and discussed which we preferred (or hated!). There was so much to see that once we met with Sam and he took the kids to the beach, I went back into the museum to learn more about Bordeaux.

On my way to the train to Pauillac, my Bordeaux city tram stopped dead in its tracks due to “suspicious activity” at the central train station. I had to sprint through Bordeaux in Birkenstocks and ended up missing the Paulliac train by 30 seconds! Sam came to the rescue as he’d already looked into a rental car for me that morning, so after securing the car at the last minute and driving an hour-and-a-half I made it to my appointment with 10 minutes to spare. My friend Heidi had put me in contact with the general manager and winemaker of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Nicolas Glumineau, who was kind enough to tour me through the facility for a couple of hours. It was a beautiful château and newly remodeled production facility, no detail spared. The cellar (during the middle of harvest) was one of the prettiest I’d seen, so clean and tidy with state-of-the-art equipment. Nicholas was very generous with his time and we discussed many topics associated with wine production during my visit, he also gave me a thorough rundown of the history of the château. Most operations in Bordeaux focus exclusively on one wine to represent the château, which is typically made from the grapes planted on the immediate property. Pauillac is located on the “left bank” in Bordeaux so the two blends we tasted were primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, both of them had a beautiful fruit profile on the nose. The Réserve De La Comtesse had more red fruit character and a very approachable pallet, while the higher-end Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande had a much darker fruit profile and richer, more dense tannins. Both wines were from the 2015 vintage. I was so appreciative of Nicholas’ willingness to devote his time and share his knowledge, especially during such a busy time for him.

The following day I ventured towards the “right bank” to Saint-Émilion to visit Château Lassègue, an eighteenth century monastery now owned by Pierre Siellan and Jackson Family Wines. Hélène –Pierre’s daughter – was instrumental in helping me secure a visit with a very busy Pierre, who makes wine in California, France and Italy every harvest! Pierre and his son, Nicolas, had made many beautiful improvements to the château to elevate the consumer tasting experience as well as the barrel room. The wine fermenters that Pierre designed for thechâteau were very functional, with both heating and cooling jackets, dedicated pump-over devices and riser lines as well as a slick internal racking arm on the bottom valve. The wines produced from theSaint-Émilion region are primarily Merlot blended with some Cabernet Franc and a little Cabernet Sauvignon.

After an educational tour and tasting with Pierre I ventured into the bustling city center of Saint-Émilion, a two-tiered city with a beautiful church, below which was a historical and frequently-toured crypt. I stumbled across a market in the center of the church that had Bordeaux wines available to taste as well as oysters to sample, the oysters happened to be farmed by a couple in Aracachon (where we were staying on the coast). I polished off my oysters and wine with a cannalé, a scrumptious dessert endemic to the Bordeaux region. There was so much to explore throughout the Bordeaux region, it was great to gain a better understanding during my few days in the area. However, sampling some of the First Growths (Premier Crus) is still on my bucket list!