Postcards from Bordeaux
A quick trip across the channel to one of France’s most famous wine regions to meet some of our suppliers and sample some great tipples.
We arrived early in Bordeaux on Wednesday morning, excited about the prospect of visiting several vineyards and tasting some beautiful Bordeaux wine.
From the airport, we headed straight to Château des Arras to meet our guide for the day, the incredibly charming and down-to-earth proprietor of Léoville Barton, Damian.
Along with Becca and Gus from our supplier Uncharted, we embarked on our first tour. Our initial stop, Château des Arras, is located in a 15th-century fort just outside Bourg. There, we were welcomed by the lovely Marie-Caroline, who, along with her sister Anne-Cécile, is a fourth-generation winemaker at Des Arras. On the stunning grounds, they cultivate vines of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle.
From these grapes, they produce the beautiful cuvée ‘Rhea’ for us at Blacklock. This wine is predominantly a Merlot blend, with a portion of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc added for complexity. Merlot, in particular, flourishes in the clay-rich soils of the right bank. The result is a wine full of crunchy, powerful dark fruit, accompanied by a fine and dry tannin structure.
Sadly, this may well be our last vintage of this wine at Blacklock, as devastating hail in 2021 severely affected their vineyard. They have now reduced their land under vine from twenty hectares to approximately three.
After bidding farewell to our gracious host, we made our way to Blaye on the River Gironde for lunch with Damian. We enjoyed a delightful meal at a charming restaurant within the walls of the fortified citadel. Sitting outside in the sunshine, overlooking the Gironde, we listened to the history of Damian’s vineyard, Léoville-Barton, while sipping a zippy white wine made from grapes grown just behind us within the citadel.
A short trip across the Gironde brought us to the most prestigious wine-growing region in the world, and we headed toward his vineyard. Damian oversees the renowned Léoville-Barton, a unique winery that produces both second- and third-growth wines. We enjoyed a full tour of the winery, culminating in a tasting of the 2015 Léoville Barton and Langoa Barton, both outstanding expressions of the rich St. Julien terroir.
But our day wasn’t over yet! We took another drive into central Bordeaux to meet the maverick winemaker Laurent, who creates unique blends of wine from grapes sourced from across France. Laurent operates in an old négociant warehouse steeped in history. After touring his cellar and bottling room, we were treated to a tasting of his unconventional wines. The whole group was thrilled by the freshness and quality of these wines and the unique blends on offer, with everyone hoping to see them in kegs flowing from our Blacklock taps.
Finally, we concluded our day with an amazing dinner at La Tupina, where we indulged in delicious steak paired with more of Bordeaux’s finest wines! It was a fantastic end to a once-in-a-lifetime day trip to one of the world’s great wine regions.