Vineyards to visit near Bordeaux
Discussion
I’ll be near Bordeaux for a couple of days soon and would like to visit one or two vineyards. Are there any stand out must-visit places? It isn’t so much the tasting, though that’s a factor, it’s the history and ambience and winemaking I’m interested in. I don’t know much about clarets!
My, perhaps out-of-date, experience is a lot of places around Bordeaux want you to make appointments and the higher-end places can be quite snooty.
Although I think they've gone a bit upmarket since I visited, Chateau Lanessan, which iirc is between the villages of St Julien and Margaux on the Medoc, might be a good place to try, although their website doesn't give many details: https://www.lanessan.com/en/visit-our-estate/
Although I think they've gone a bit upmarket since I visited, Chateau Lanessan, which iirc is between the villages of St Julien and Margaux on the Medoc, might be a good place to try, although their website doesn't give many details: https://www.lanessan.com/en/visit-our-estate/
Car bon said:
Given that you're more inclined towards education than purchasing, it may be better to do one of the winemaking tours - there's some on Trip advisor.
If this is the case, a visit to Cité du Vin might be a good way to spend some time. They have workshops etc and it's on the tram line/easy to get to.Bordeaux is a lovely place.
SpartacusF said:
I’ll be near Bordeaux for a couple of days soon and would like to visit one or two vineyards. Are there any stand out must-visit places? It isn’t so much the tasting, though that’s a factor, it’s the history and ambience and winemaking I’m interested in. I don’t know much about clarets!
Yes, there are some absolute blinders, but they cost £££ and/or you'll need an introduction from someone in the wine trade.Most of the Chateaux charge these days even if it is a token amount, but they are a bit more like brewery/distillery tours over here insofar as they're open to anyone (but you may need to book in advance).
If you're interested in doing a tour, I have previously used a guy who can arrange a series of visits (2-3 in a day works well) + lunch for pretty reasonable money. Tbh, I probably wouldn't do it without a driver because the Chateaux are quite spread out. More than happy to PM his details if you want.
andyA700 said:
Ah, perfect, thanksNDA said:
A visit to St Emilion is worth doing - a great town where every shop is devoted to wine.
It's a world heritage site so very much worth a visit.A nerdy detail I enjoyed is that the cobbles in the streets of St Emilion come from Kent as they were used in ballast in English boats coming up the Gironde; docking at Libourne and exchanged for wine (and a bit of cash presumably)
oddman said:
NDA said:
A visit to St Emilion is worth doing - a great town where every shop is devoted to wine.
It's a world heritage site so very much worth a visit.A nerdy detail I enjoyed is that the cobbles in the streets of St Emilion come from Kent as they were used in ballast in English boats coming up the Gironde; docking at Libourne and exchanged for wine (and a bit of cash presumably)
We visited Bordeaux a couple of years ago. We visited a few Chateau’s, had 5 tours paying around €15 each per tour. We were wine novices so it was a real eye opener and unfortunately it’s spoiled us, can’t drink the cheap junk you get in uk supermarkets anymore!
There are literally thousands of chateaux’s of varying size in the area, varying in levels of spectacular as you drive around and they draw you in.
We did two vineyards in the medoc, one on west side of Bordeaux, one in St Emillion and another in the Pomerol region.
Our best experience was where we just rocked up at https://www.larosefigeac.com/ which is about 3-4ha vineyard in the Pomerol region. We arrived unannounced, as we were just out for a drive, knocked on office door which was opened by the owner, and now we are friends on WhatsApp! We booked a tour for two days later, which the owner gave us it free as it was my wife’s birthday the following day, and the owner was lovely. It all felt a lot more personal meeting Nathalie, the owner who was absolutely charming.
If you go to bigger chateaus it will be the intern or trainee who does the tour and the owners will be on another continent, it’ll feel more corporate, so depends what you want?
I would suggest visit one large, and one small where maybe you get to meet the owner.
I would agree with others here, an absolute must is the Wine Museum in Bordeaux https://www.laciteduvin.com/en/info
The whole experience was incredible, easily my best museum experience ever, very engaging, interactive and didn’t ever get bored. Also a fantastic view from the top for a Wine tasting when you’ve finished.
There are literally thousands of chateaux’s of varying size in the area, varying in levels of spectacular as you drive around and they draw you in.
We did two vineyards in the medoc, one on west side of Bordeaux, one in St Emillion and another in the Pomerol region.
Our best experience was where we just rocked up at https://www.larosefigeac.com/ which is about 3-4ha vineyard in the Pomerol region. We arrived unannounced, as we were just out for a drive, knocked on office door which was opened by the owner, and now we are friends on WhatsApp! We booked a tour for two days later, which the owner gave us it free as it was my wife’s birthday the following day, and the owner was lovely. It all felt a lot more personal meeting Nathalie, the owner who was absolutely charming.
If you go to bigger chateaus it will be the intern or trainee who does the tour and the owners will be on another continent, it’ll feel more corporate, so depends what you want?
I would suggest visit one large, and one small where maybe you get to meet the owner.
I would agree with others here, an absolute must is the Wine Museum in Bordeaux https://www.laciteduvin.com/en/info
The whole experience was incredible, easily my best museum experience ever, very engaging, interactive and didn’t ever get bored. Also a fantastic view from the top for a Wine tasting when you’ve finished.
Edited by Danielson73 on Wednesday 3rd July 23:22
Château Margaux: This is one of Bordeaux's most famous vineyards. The château itself is stunning. The estate has a rich history dating back to the 12th century.
Château Pape Clément: This is one of the oldest estates in Bordeaux, with vineyards that have been cultivated since the 13th century. The château itself is a beautiful historic building surrounded by manicured gardens.
Château d'Yquem: Famous for its sweet wines, Château d'Yquem has a history that dates back to the 16th century.
Château Mouton Rothschild: This château is known for its exceptional wines and also for its extensive art collection.
Château Pape Clément: This is one of the oldest estates in Bordeaux, with vineyards that have been cultivated since the 13th century. The château itself is a beautiful historic building surrounded by manicured gardens.
Château d'Yquem: Famous for its sweet wines, Château d'Yquem has a history that dates back to the 16th century.
Château Mouton Rothschild: This château is known for its exceptional wines and also for its extensive art collection.
Danielson73 said:
If you go to bigger chateaus it will be the intern or trainee who does the tour and the owners will be on another continent, it’ll feel more corporate, so depends what you want?
I would suggest visit one large, and one small where maybe you get to meet the owner.
That's kind of suggesting that if you go to a large chateaux you'll be shown round by someone who essentially knows nothing, whereas meeting the owner at a small one will make the visit better. That's absolutely not been the case in my experience.I would suggest visit one large, and one small where maybe you get to meet the owner.
Yes, the larger ones are more formulaic but they often give a great overview of winemaking processes, their terroir, etc and can do so in English. Your typical visitor is quite unlikely to ask them a question they struggle to answer.
Visit somewhere off the beaten track and they might just have a basic tasting/sales room with someone who doesn't speak English but you can sometimes get more insight into how they work. There's also more of an expectation that you'll buy a few bottles there and then (which can be a bit awkward if you don't like their wines).
The more exclusive visits tend to be focussed on tasting/drinking high end wines. People tend to be there for some combination of the high end experience or to get a bit geekier about how they produce their wines, taste cask samples, etc.
I'm taking a relative wine novice to France later this year and we're quite deliberately starting with a large producer who runs a well established tour to give him an initial grounding. The product is not as good as others we'll visit but without that tour, the conversations at the smaller producers we'll be visiting could just be gobbledygook.
paddy1970 said:
Château Margaux: This is one of Bordeaux's most famous vineyards. The château itself is stunning. The estate has a rich history dating back to the 12th century.
Château Pape Clément: This is one of the oldest estates in Bordeaux, with vineyards that have been cultivated since the 13th century. The château itself is a beautiful historic building surrounded by manicured gardens.
Château d'Yquem: Famous for its sweet wines, Château d'Yquem has a history that dates back to the 16th century.
Château Mouton Rothschild: This château is known for its exceptional wines and also for its extensive art collection.
With the exception of Pape, which has the advantage of being close to the city, they're all going to be expensive and/or quite hard to book into. Sauternes is also a bit out on a limb from a travel perspective (although the wines can be fantastic).Château Pape Clément: This is one of the oldest estates in Bordeaux, with vineyards that have been cultivated since the 13th century. The château itself is a beautiful historic building surrounded by manicured gardens.
Château d'Yquem: Famous for its sweet wines, Château d'Yquem has a history that dates back to the 16th century.
Château Mouton Rothschild: This château is known for its exceptional wines and also for its extensive art collection.
Tbh, if I was taking non-wine geeks/relative Bordeaux newcomers the suggestions of St Emillion (as a general destination), Pape Clement, and perhaps somewhere like Lynch Bages would all work.
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