Wednesday - May 27, 2009Well here we are, almost at the end of our journey - and almost at the end of my blog updates. I have written most of these entries from home as a way of preserving my memories of the great trip. (Also we were too busy HAVING fun to write about having fun.) I have saved the best 'til last so I would keep writing. I still have the entries from our trip to Normandy and the Bromages house to write - that was my most favorite part of the trip and my least likely to forget.
Today our plan is to tour some of the wineries of the Bordeaux wine region, the most important wine growing region in the world. Due to the prestige associated with these wines, we are prepared to pay for cookie-cutter tours by staff hired just to take care of tourists. We expect that the wine tastings will, however be worth our time. John called several commended wineries in the Saint-Emilion and Pomorol AOCs and tried for small family chateaus in hopes of finding nice tours. A few days before, a terrible hailstorm had damaged some of the vines and owners were busy assessing and repairing damage - some did not want visitors. John found us three that said to come ahead.
Our first visit is to
Chateau Arnaud de Jacquemeau, a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. We are met by the former owner, Denis Dupuy, now a great grandfather. He has turned the growing business over to his son. He delights in showing visitors his pride and joy. The the grapes are organic. He tells us that barley and oats are planted between the rows of vines so that insects will tend to eat the tastier grass and leave the grapes alone. We understand that the grasses help restore nitrogen to the soil and help with weed and erosion control. The rose plants at the end of the rows are early indicators of powdery mildew, so sulfer can be applied to the vines when necessary as a preventative.
Denis carefully explains the process of wine tasting. After removing the cork and letting the wine breathe, he wipes the mouth of the bottle. He pours a small amount in a glass - turning the bottle to wash away remaining cork debris. This is discarded. He inserts a pouring spout.
Denis now lights a candle and pours wine into a glass, so that we can look at the color of the wine, particularly around the edges. As a wine ages, the tints become more brown. The wine is swirled to incorporate more oxygen into the wine and let the flavor develop. The sheeting of the wine on the sides of the glass is observed. Covering the glass, swirling it more, releases more of the fragrance into the glass.
Denis goes through an elaborate process to fill both nostrils with the smell of the wine. He finally puts a small amount in his mouth, sucking in air. The wine is washed over the entire tongue to capture all elements of taste. Denis is quite the showman. We are an appreciative audience - especially after tasting the wine.
Everyone buys his wine. Denis says it is best after five years - or in 2011.
That is when Janet is planning a trip to Italy. She wants Gigi to come with John and do the tour since she speaks Italian.
I buy a bottle and label it: "Not
this wine before it's time", marking it for Janet's 2011 trip to Italy. I send it home with John to cellar for Janet.
John thinks the tasting process is a little over the top. We think Denis is a great flirt - "Viva la Français!"
Chateau Angelus, a Premier Grand Cru Classé B Saint-Emilion is our next visit. This is a very prestigious chateau. John tells us to expect a polished presentation by an employee who is fluent in English. Our literature tells us the cost of the tour is 10 euros each. We drive up to a large elegant building and go to the reception area.
There is a James Bond Casino Royale poster on the wall advertising the Angelus wine as Bond's choice in the movie. There is also a picture of the chateau owner with Bill Clinton.
We are introduced to Stephanie de Boüard de Laforest, daughter of the owner. Normally her sister gives the chateau tours, but she is expecting a baby soon and Stephanie is filling in. Stephanie is a banker in London. She is moving to a new job in three months and is enjoying a break at home. Stephanie's husband is a negotiator in the wine business - an intermediary between growers and distributers. While in London, Stephanie puts together wine tastings for corporate clients in her spare time.
The vineyards have been owned by her family for seven generations - since before the French Revolution. She gives us a tour of the vinyard and then takes us through the fermentation tank areas and the oak barrel aging cellar. Her father has created a new design for the oak fermentation tank a UVO (play on UFO since the new tank looks like a space ship). Fermentation takes place in concrete, stainless steel and oak - each material has advantages which are beneficial to different grapes. The barrels are all painted with red wine around the middle band. This is so that spills will not show from testing and topping off the barrels. They are all beautiful when painted this way. It is obvious that extreme attention to detail is observed at all levels. Grapes are sorted and resorted so there are no stems or poor quality fruit in the wine. Stephanie compares the sorted grapes to caviar. Chateau Angelus was upgraded in the 1996 ten-year rating. It maintained its rating in 2006 (improvement two ratings in a row is out of the question). The chateau is trying for another improvement at the next rating in 2016.
Stephanie discusses the effects of the recent economic downturn. Wine prices for the current vintage are down almost by half. Angelus expects that by the time the vintage is released for sale, prices will return to more normal levels. As a consequence, this one time, they have held back 20% of the harvest and plan to sell later. It is a constraint on cash flow to do this. Because they are large and established, they are able to take the gamble on future prices. Stephanie's banking background prepares her to understand and participate in these decisions.
Stephanie's father introduces himself and welcomes us. He is on his way to Paris and confers briefly with his daughter.
He is curious about our trip, offering to make our reservations in Saint-Emilion for our last dinner. He tells us that we will enjoy Bordeaux the next day - that the sunshine will bring out the best color in the yellow-white buildings.
Stephanie opens two bottles for us to taste. Each is exquisite.
We understand that each bottle sells for about 400 euros.
Fortunately, the chateau's agreements with distributers preclude them from selling directly from the chateau. We are spared from making apologies when we do not buy.
Reservations for our dinner are made as we depart. John exchanges contact informaiton with Stephanie - his brother in Surrey may wish to host a wine tasting when she returns to London. When we try to pay for our tour and are told that there is no charge. We have spent an hour and a half visiting this wonderful chateau. The visit has been a total surprise.
In the afternoon we visit
Chateau Enclos Haut-Mayzeyres a Pomerol. We meet the proprietors, Marianne and Roland de Pedro and their daughter Françoise. Their vineyard has been in the family for two hundred years. Recently, the winery has passed down through the women in the family.
Marianne owned the vineyards before she was married and knew the business. Roland was a scientist who worked with meterological balloons. He has used his knowledge of science and weather to improve their wines and also to predict the optimum timing for grape harvest. It was wonderful to see the partnership and admiration that each one feels for the other.
Their daughter has studied wine in college and is preparing to take over the family business. She came out and spent the afternoon with us. When we took pictures of the family, they were surprised and got their camera to photograph us.
They show us their operation and spend a great deal of time explaining their oak barrels. They have been testing several coopers in an effort to find the best oak which enhances their wine.
Barrels are used for three years - this is the same policy used at Chateau Arnaud de Jacquemeau our first chateau today. Chateau Angelus uses barrels only once - the much larger operation, can negotiate better prices on barrels, also Angelus is more expensive.
They lead us through the house several times. We look at a map on the dining room wall where Roland explains the historical significance of their location. We see the cellar and at their photo album of grape maturation and harvesting process. We look at their charts on barrels currently being aged. We are invited to taste their wines.
The family sets their patio table and invites us to sit by their pool and share their wine. Francoise stays in the sun until he mother teases her into coming up with us. They open a 2001 which is wonderful. Marianne and Roland explain that the flavor of their Pomerol wine is like silk or velvet. We agree. We talk for a long time - John interpreting much of what they say, although we can catch a lot on our own when more than one conversation is going. They devote their afternoon to our visit. We are guests and friends. We ask if we can buy some wine - Marianne says with a twinkle that we can fill up our car. The 2001 is my second bottle to take home - it is so good. John buys some to take home as well.
It has been an incredible day. I can not believe the warmth and hospitality we have been shown. There are many hugs and kisses as we get back in the car to leave.
Before returning to Saint-Emilion, we make a detour to
Chateau Petrus - the most famous and most expensive Pomerol. We take pictures in front of the building, wary that at any moment a pack of Dobermanns might storm out to attack trespassers, but the property was deserted.
We drive back to get cleaned up for our final dinner together.
On the way to the restaurant, we spot a price list for Petrus in a wine shop. We thought that Chateau Angelus was expensive. The 2005 vintage costs 2700 euros a bottle, the 2000 vintage is 3400 euros.
"Splashing Out"
For our last dinner, we wanted to celebrate.
Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, owner of Chateau Angelus had recommended Logis de la Cadene during our visit to his winery earlier that day. His receptionist made our reservations.
The Logis is a family-owned restaurant in Saint-Emillion established in 1848. The specialties are meats roasted over vine cuttings and local cuisine. The food was wonderful. We tried a local wine.
The dinner was Janet's treat!
[Thank you!]
We adjourn in time for the Barcelona vs. Manchester European Champions Football (Soccer) League finals that night. Poor John, Barcelona won (my kids were happy).
Love to you all
Rozanne and Janet
Arrived at Bordeaux airport more than two hours before our flight, concerned that we couldn't confirm the night before and didn't have assigned seats - no problem - it was a French airline and a small airport - we got the emergency row, checked our bags to our home and got boarding passes to Atlanta. The flight was on time to Paris. 
Here is a picture of Janet and me with our splurges: Janet's cashmere scarf and gloves from Amsterdam, our linen cabbage rose pins from somewhere I can't remember, and my French hat from Bordeaux. Notice the smiles. We had a great time - a once in a lifetime experience, just the two of us with our guide, to the most amazing variety of places and adventures in the countryside of France.
The next day, the doorbell rang, and this flower basket arrived as a welcome home/Mother's Day/birthday/Christmas present from my daughter.
