Winestate Tour of France 2015 Booklet

http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-2950-hotel- carlton-lyon-mgallery-collection/ RHÔNE - LYON Then on to Lyon, a beautifully sited city with the Rhone River dividing the city, and surrounding hills covered in residential habitation. The hotel was ancient with great character and location, but the lift belonged in a museum, with some of our tour members getting quite aquainted with it after supposedly “breaching” the load limit! C’est la vie! A great food and wine city which we enjoyed exploring as did the rest of the group. 51 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

DELAS FRERES 52 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

www.delas.com RHÔNE 53 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY On Saturday 19th September, we embarked on the next stage of travel, down the Rhône river, past picturesque towns. Our first vineyard visit was to Delas Frères, hosted by Bruno Gonnet, who have vineyards all along the river on both sides. The Rhone style wines produced from syrah, grenache, marsanne and viognier grapes are familiar in Australia and NZ , but under these original surroundings are very different, particularly in their high quality wines. A very gener- ous line up of high quality wines were enjoyed greatly by the group. Lunch-time was later spent in Tournon-sur-Rhone, a pleasant stop with a market place as the central attraction. 54 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

CHAPOUTIER 55 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

MaisonChapoutier @M_Chapoutier www.chapoutier.com RHÔNE 56 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY After all this, we proceeded to Maison Chapoutier where we tasted some delicious food wines full of complex flavours. It is an enterprising enterprise, now also producing wines in Victoria, Australia and Portugal. They are now pioneers in biodynamics and their “greeniness” is a growing tendency among some wine producers. These wines were best sampled with food. After a full day it was back to Lyon to enjoy an evening at leisure. 57 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

domaine FONT de MICHELLE 58 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

www.font-de-michelle.com RHÔNE 59 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

domaine FONT de MICHELLE 60 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

61 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015 RHÔNE

OUR IMAGE GALLERY The next day, Sunday 20th September, was check out day, moving onward to Marseille. The only visit was to a winery in the famous Chateau Neuf du Pape region, where an Australian girl, Kelly Gonnet, had married a Frenchman in Australia and then returned to his family vineyard at Domaine Font de Michelle, in Bédarrides. We sampled some lovely food wines that will age over a long period, with the Aussie influence being seen on the new attractive labels honouring the French family heritage. 62 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

GRAND HOTEL BEAUVAU 63 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1293-grand-hotel-beauvau- marseille-vieux-port-mgallery-collection RHÔNE - MARSEILLE Monday 21st September. A free day for exploration. The part of Marseille we were in, was similar in design to the Vieux Port of Nice. It is a central focus of the city, a good promenading area with people and activity galore. Tour members were free to choose their activities for the day whether that be luxuriating in the lavish yet bustling surroundings, staying in, walking alongside the shore admiring the fishing boats, shopping or taking a cruise. Some tour members enjoyed a cruise to the Calanques, after glowing reviews by tour member Gerrard Friedlander, “about the uniqueness of the cliff rock formations, and the minute fjord-like inlets of shore-lines.” 64 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

MICHELIN CELEBRATION DINNER LE POULPE 65 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

www.lepoulpe-marseille.com/ RHÔNE - MARSEILLE 66 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY That evening it was off on foot to one of our food venues along the waterfront for our next Winestate Celebration dinner at Le Poulpe, an open air marine restaurant with nice views specializing in seafood. It was delicious if you were not allergic to fish, but the wines, coming from the region were a little ordinary, particularly in comparison to the wines that we had enjoyed thus far. A short walk back to the hotel and bed were much appreciated after a full day. 67 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

CHATEAU LE CARRASSES 68 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

www.lescarrasses.com/ LANGUEDOC 69 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY 70 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

The next morning, Tuesday 22nd September was check out, and we were on route towards Toulouse with a scheduled stopover at the luxury Chateau les Carrasses winery and guest house in the Languedoc region. It is situated near Capestang, in the middle of rolling low hills covered with vines of all descriptions. Hence they produce wines with different varietals and appellations. Here we had an amazing array of wines served from a number of wineries within their group, Vignobles Bonfils. All the wines were very good mid-weight food wines, complex in texture and “taste- ability.” So good that, running late, we decided to have lunch there, a simple outdoor event with the usual southern French cuisine. Languedoc wines have improved greatly in quality over recent years, partly brought about by using different harvesting methods, and preventing grape fermentation immediately on picking, because of the hotter conditions. Many grapes seem these days to be mechanically harvested at night, thereby reducing oxidation. 71 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

GRAND HOTEL DE L’OPERA 72 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

www.grand-hotel-opera.com TOULOUSE As the group decided to lunch at Chateau les Carrasses instead of visiting Carcassonne we headed directly toward Toulouse, following canals of various rivers in the flat landscape. Arriving at our destination late, we did not do so without a mishap to the bus. The centres of growing French towns today are often car-free and raised spikes are meant to inhibit entry to cars. However we hit one of these bumps, which caused a great deal of problems for the driver and bus, but provided some great entertainment for the local coffee drinkers nearby as we scraped our way out. The town itself was quite picturesque with the canal adding to the features within it. The canal connects the Garonne river in Bordeaux to the Mediterranean, and its raison d’etre was the transportation of wheat. The city also has a newly constructed metro service. 73 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

CHATEAU CLIMENS 74 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

Château Climens @Climensonly www.chateau-climens.fr/en/ LANGUEDOC 75 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY On Wednesday 24th September we set out from Toulouse, alongside canal roads and then motorway towards Bordeaux. We followed the Garonne and Dordogne rivers downstream and our first stop was in the south of the region of Barsac renowned for its white wine and sauterne. Here we visited Chateau Climens, hosted by Berenice Lurton, a first growth vineyard with wine made from semillon grapes. These are picked when botrytis has had its effect in withering the bunches and they are lusciously sweet. The vineyard follows very traditional production methods and although originally a family enterprise it is now one of the many wineries owned by the impressive Lurton family wine group. A great introduction to the sweeter side of Bordeaux. 76 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

GRAND HOTEL DE BORDEAUX & SPA The way to Bordeaux was marked by low hills covered in vines. It was an amazing sight where development of habitation is actually limited as more land is swallowed up in vines rather than houses. The Bordeaux Grand five star hotel, rated the highest in town, itself was in the centre of Bordeaux. The restaurant kitchen, Pressoir d’Argent, was being up-graded by Gordon Ramsey, the English restaurateur, at the time we stayed and was closed during our visit however our tour group had fun trying to spot him with a few sightings reported. 77 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

ghbordeaux.spa www.ghbordeaux.com/uk/index.php BORDEAUX 78 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

MICHELIN CELEBRATION DINNER LE ST JAMES BOULIAC 79 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

Hôtel Le Saint-James @StJames_Bouliac www.saintjames-bouliac.com BORDEAUX 80 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY In the evening we were celebrating our next Winestate Celebration dinner at a one star Michelin venue, St James in Boulliac, a beautiful old building giving a wonderful sunset view over Bordeaux and the sea beyond it. We tasted some beautiful and expensive wines, (including Chateaux Latour, Carraudes de Lafite and others) which was a very memorable experience indeed. 81 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU 82 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

www.chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/ BORDEAUX 83 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY Thursday 24th September. We visited wineries in Medoc, beginning with the short journey up the peninsula to St Julien at Ducru Beaucaillou, a beautifully situated chateau with manicured lawns surrounding it, where we met the owner (the debonnair Bruno Borie) and joined our host for the day, Jacques Lurton, and tasted their two top wines with a Masterclass from the jovial (retired) former chief winemaker. A special treat. Gerrard commented, “I do not remember their taste except their excellence.” Most “Left Bank” Bordeaux wines are a blend of either cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Often just two or three of those varieties are included, led by cabernet sauvignon. The soil consists of deep, large-stone gravel beds enriched with alluvial soil deposits, with a high clay content. The wines are matured in oak barriques (50-60% new) for 18 months. The vineyards slope down towards the river below, and are never irrigated. In fact this is strictly forbidden. Although the wine is classed as second growth it is of excellent quality 84 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

CHATEAU DU TERTRE 85 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

chateaudutertre.fr/ BORDEAUX 86 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY Next visit was to Chateaux Du Tertre, a 5th growth Margaux wine, according to the 1855 classification of Bordeaux wines. A beautiful premises with classic Bordeaux chateau lines. A very pleasant experience as we tasted both their first and second wines. It was most interesting to see that in 2008 the winery installed cone and egg-shaped concrete and wooden tanks. After this visit we continued to our lunch venue in the Relais de Margaux where we enjoyed a masterclass by Jacques Lurton of the aforementioned family, providing an impressive line- up of his family wines whilst overlooking the golf course surrounds. We continued this tasting, enjoying the wines as we sat down to lunch. 87 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

BRANE CANTENAC 88 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

@BRANE_CANTENAC www.brane-cantenac.com/ BORDEAUX 89 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY After a leisurely meal we proceeded to Chateau Brane Cantenac, another of the Lurton Empire, a 2nd growth Margaux wine, showing another classic Bordeaux design, which has had a colourful history and now specializes in wines of excellent quality, led by Le Grand Vin produced annually in 30,000 cases. Henri Lurton dropped in to say hello and taste the wines with us, a pleasure indeed. Brane-Cantenac makes in addition to its Grand Vin, the second wine Baron de Brane, and an additional label named Château Notton. 90 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 91 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

Chateau Mouton Rothschild @chateaumouton www.chateau-mouton-rothschild.com/ BORDEAUX This completed an eventful day and on the next one, Friday 25th September, we assembled again to be taken back to Pauillac, before dividing into two groups, visiting Chateau Mouton Rothschild first. It is a huge complex today devoted to public relations even more than it was a few years ago. The parts we saw were very impressive, with everything spotless and beautifully crafted to impress. The wines were of course similarly impressive and the museum opulent in its desire to present the most expensive material. It was noticeable how residential settlements were kept to a minimum in size, because obviously the land was more valuable as wine producing land. 92 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

CHATEAU LYNCH BAGES 93 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

Chateau Lynch-Bages @lynch_bages www.lynchbages.com BORDEAUX 94 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

95 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

After a simple lunch on the waterfront washed down by a wonderful wine, chosen by Peter Simic, we met our bus BORDEAUX to take us to Chateau Lynch-Bages, in Pauillac another beautifully situated estate, which also has a facility for amateurs to make their own clarets. The wines were of course premier cru and excellent. Seeing the old winery at Chateau Lynch Bages, as it would have been set up for making wine in the 1860s was a recognisable reminder of the traditional links of winemaking to current methods. It is noticeable that so many chateaux in Bordeaux are denoted by double-barreled names. The reasons are complex but certainly denote a long history and the fact that association or marriage has drawn several families together. 96 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

VIEUX CERTAN 97 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

http://www.vieuxchateaucertan.com BORDEAUX 98 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

OUR IMAGE GALLERY Saturday 26th September. As usual, after a very good breakfast, we were picked up by bus to travel to the “Right Bank” of the river in St Emilion and Pomerol. The latter is a small area where we visited one of the oldest Bordeaux wine producers and also one of the best. Alexandre Thienport’s family have been involved since 1745 with Vieux Certan and another branch of the family now co-owns a sister vineyard, the very famous, Le Pin. This is a small personalized area producing wines of exceptional character and structure. The areas covered in vines is very small, originally only 14 hectares, and is on a plateau of land very close to other top wines like Petrus. It is unclassified according to the 1855 classification of Bordeaux wines, and yet today is considered one of the very best of Pomerol wines. A wonderful garagiste experience! We were privileged to be hosted at both sites by Alexandre and tasted both older wines and barrel samples. 99 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015

CHATEAU LE PIN 100 WINES TATE TOUR OF FRANCE 2015