This magazine was shared with you as a member of our select club of Bordeaux-lovers all over the world.
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Great wines in 2018, both on the Left Bank and the Right Bank
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A Personal Note From Ronald,
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One of my highlights each year is the Bordeaux En Primeur week where Bordeaux presents the latest vintage to the press and trade. And what a pleasure was it to taste the 2018 vintage. Over the years I have gotten to know most of the owners on the top level of the Bordeaux wine world and I have seen happy and sad faces over the years. The vintage 2018 incurred many happy faces (including mine) and some sad ones like at Chateau Pontet-Canet, who lost two thirds of their crop to the mildew. Owner Alfred Tesseron managed a smile when he told me that he was going to continue with the biodynamic approach.
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A low yield for Tesseron from Pontet-Canet,
but the wines are beautiful
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Second wines surprised me
The best terroirs produced the best wines, no surprises here. But what struck me tasting at the First Growths was the remarkable level of the second wines. They were at a level that were the First Wines some 20 years ago. Speaking about value on the top level, this may well be where to find great wines for a (hopefully) reasonable price.
But I am getting ahead of myself. In this issue you can find my ratings and tasting notes for many of the top properties in Bordeaux and I hope this will be of assistance in deciding your En Primeur purchases. Much depends on the prices of course, but they are not known yet. So I will concentrate on the wines here.
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Philippe Dhalluin, rightfully proud of both the first and the second wines at Mouton Rothschild
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Join us on a Bordeaux Wine Tour
I can understand that while reading about Bordeaux and yet another great vintage, you may be tempted to visit our beautiful region with us. The good news is that you can. We have some spots available on the Bordeaux Grand Cru Harvest Tour this year and our 2020 Bordeaux Wine Tour schedule is online as well.
Discover our 2019 and 2020 Bordeaux Wine Tour Schedule here.
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Guests enjoying a private tour at Haut Brion
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I sincerely hope that you will enjoy this issue. You can simply click to see my tasting notes on the First Growths from both Left Bank and Right Bank. For the other wines I have included my ratings. I tasted all these wines personally and these ratings represent my opinion. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments and simply reply to this magazine. I look forward to hear from you.
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Ronald and Margaret love to share
their passion for Bordeaux with you
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And please remember: Don’t drink anything I wouldn’t drink!
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Bordeaux 2018, a vintage in a league of its own
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Lafite Rothschild my wine of the vintage 2018
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A bit of history
Things have changed in the world and things have changed in Bordeaux. When I started to get involved in the Bordeaux wine world some 35 years ago, the vintage was the most important quality indicator in Bordeaux. Great vintages happened rarely and were an exception back then and you needed to snatch them up “en primeur” if you wanted them for your cellar. In the nineties of the last century and to some extend also in the eighties, getting the grapes to ripen in the Médoc was not easy with the capricious climate. The Médoc, home to the famous Classified Growths, lies snugged in between the Gironde and the Atlantic Ocean. The mild climate and sometimes cool and wet weather was a challenge to the chateaux. It was difficult to achieve an optimum ripeness, especially in later ripening varietals like the Cabernet Sauvignon. In the Médoc the vines were kept low to the ground to allow the pebbles that had warmed up in the sunshine to radiate this heat to bunches that were struggling to ripen.
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The first stages of the Bordeaux 2019
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Sunshine means sugar in grapes. And this sugar is transformed into alcohol during the vinification. Often when there hadn’t been enough sunshine, the sugar levels were too low in the grapes. Chateaux had to chaptalize. Chaptalizing is adding sugar to the fermenting grapes to get the alcohol level up to the required minimum set by the strict AOC laws. Whether you believe in Global Warming or not, we have seen the temperatures going up in Bordeaux almost each and every year this century and chaptalizing has been frowned upon for over 15 years now. It is still legal but nobody needs more alcohol. On the contrary, as a result of the higher temperatures we’re seeing alcohol rates of around 15%. Compare this with 1982 for example, one of the greatest vintages of the last century. Most wines were around a mere 12% to 12,5% alcohol…
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Different styles
Bordeaux has seen almost an avalanche of great vintages this century with only a couple of weaker vintages as an exception (notably 2007 and 2013). Buyers should stop aiming at the next “vintage of the century” in their cellars. There are many great vintages nowadays but they differ in style and identity. And this is where it becomes interesting: understanding each vintage and determining which style works best for your palate. Recently the 2009, 2010, 2015 and 2016 have been heralded as vintages of the century. Indeed these are great vintages but personally I am also a big fan of many of the 2014 and 2017 wines because they can be very good. And they are less hyped and more affordable. The vintage 2018 is different in many ways as we will see later and cannot easily be compared to previous vintages. Comparing vintages is like rating your children. One is not better than the other, they are different. They each have stronger and weaker points. Not many excel at math, art and music and are a great writer as well. Kids will find their own way in society, as will the different Bordeaux vintages each with their own fans.
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Tasting all these wines is hard work
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2018, a year from fear to excitement
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Jean-Philippe Masclef of Haut Brion told me that he thought of the 2018 vintage as: “standing with its feet in the water and with its head in the sun.” You may remember that frost was the main challenge in 2017 and the chateaux were hoping for an easier vintage 2018 but this was not to happen. A very rainy spring and even some very violent hailstorms created tension and fear in the first half of 2018. From December 2017 to May 2018 Bordeaux had 800mm of rain, the equivalent of an entire year of rainfall. This humidity and the unseasonably cool temperatures triggered outbreaks of mildew almost everywhere in Bordeaux. Mildew can only be prevented and stopped but not cured. To prevent mildew you have to treat your vines after each rain shower. And with six months of rains, this becomes impossible. Mildew was one of the greatest challenges in 2018. Those that work their vineyards in a biodynamic philosophy were hit the hardest. Biodynamic leaders like Pontet-Canet and Palmer produced such low yields that would even make a Sauternes producer weep. Alfred Tesseron of Pontet-Canet told me that he produced two thirds less wine than in an average year.
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Chateau Palmer 2018, a beautiful wine but a very low yield
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Small berries
“Our choice to be biodynamic was a challenge under the enormous mildew pressure.” said Thomas Duroux, CEO of Château Palmer in Margaux. Palmer produced a mere 11hl/ha (less than a third of a normal year) and made no Alter Ego this year.
The last spell of rain in July accounted for the final attack of mildew. Fortunately after this attack the weather changed dramatically. A hot and dry summer set in, providing ideal conditions for recovery for the vineyards. Temperatures increased to peaks of 40C (104F). The soils were saturated with water so with the heat, the growing cycle picked up speed and the late vintage turned into an early vintage. The hydric stress that followed accounted for extremely small and concentrated berries. Philippe Dhalluin of Mouton Rothschild told me that he had never seen such small berries before in his career.
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The risk of Parker style wines
The concentration in the small berries could easily turn wines into too concentrated “Parkerised” wines. Eric Kohler of Lafite Rothschild told me: “You should not let the conditions overwhelm you. We needed to be very gentle with the extraction. It was the vintage that gave it all and we didn’t want over ripeness or over extraction.”
And this did happen. At some chateaux I tasted a few samples where I wrote in my tasting notes: “Didn’t they got the memo that Parker is no longer active?” But fortunately these were exceptions and many producers made spectacular wines this year. In general the 2018 is yet another outstanding vintage that has known a challenging vegetative cycle and sometimes low yields. But the overall quality is very high on both Left and Right Bank.
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With Lise Latrille of Prieuré-Lichine in Margaux. The quality of their wines continues to improve even further in 2018
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Why I use the 20-point scale
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Rating wine is a very personal experience. A wine rating is one individual opinion of one individual taster on one specific moment and we should be modest about the outcomes. Nobody has an absolute judgment about wine, not even Robert Parker. Again it’s just an opinion of one taster.
There are many different systems of ratings. Some rate wines with stars with a maximum varying from three to five stars. In France wines traditionally are rated on a 20-point scale, the same scale that is used in all educational systems in France. The American wine critic Robert Parker introduced a 100-point scale and that became an instant success.
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Rating wine is a very personal experience
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Cheval Blanc, my Right Bank wine of the vintage 2018
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100 points equals 100%?
Rating wine is a very personal experience. A wine rating is one individual opinion of one individual taster on one specific moment and we should be modest about the outcomes.
I personally think that this 100-point scale attracts us so much because the 100-point mark unconsciously makes us think about 100% meaning perfection. I feel that this 100-point scale is too refined. Can one really consistently discern the difference between a 93-point wine and a 94-point wine?
Personally I doubt this very much.
I use the traditional 20 points scale where I sometimes added some half-points or even the occasional “+” or “–“ where I want to add some nuances. I have been using this 20-point scale over the last 30 years and it served me well. I hope my ratings will help you make your purchasing decisions in the sometimes outstanding Bordeaux vintage 2018.
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Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2018,
1er Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac
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Lafite in the middle of an ocean of the best vineyards
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The big smile on Eric Kohler’s face when he welcomed me said it all. The talented technical director at Lafite Rothschild greeted me warmly and with confidence.
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Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2018,
1er Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac
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Tasting Mouton Rothschild 2018
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The futures tasting at Mouton Rothschild is always a combination of theatrics and a warm family feeling. I was chauffeur driven from Mouton’s visitor’s center to the tasting room by uniformed drivers.
Mouton’s Technical Director Erick Tourbier was eager to show me the Mouton 2018 as we discussed the vintage during the harvest at Mouton. With Eric I tasted the Mouton 2018 straight from the barrel and then it was already extraordinary. You can see the video on the Mouton Rothschild harvest 2018 by clicking on the picture.
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The Mouton Rothschild was my wine of the vintage in 2017
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Chateau Latour 2018,
1er Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac
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Ronald at Chateau Latour tasting the 2018 on futures
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I tasted the Latour at the chateau with Hélène Génin, the technical director of the First Growth. Hélène explained that she had to fight the mildew as well. The vintage started out as a late vintage but the growing cycle caught up with the year and it turned out to be an early harvest at Latour. Small berries with thick skins and a perfect ripeness. Latour doesn’t use the optical sorting machine because Hélène doesn’t believe in this technology. All selection was done by hand. The yield at Latour at 24hl/ha was lower than usual (33-35 hl/ha) as a result of the mildew in the early part of the year and the drought later on.
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Ronald tasting Latour with Hélène Génin, the technical director
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Chateau Margaux 2018,
1er Grand Cru Classé, Margaux
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Alexandra Mentzelopoulos made me feel very welcome at Chateau Margaux
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Driving up to Chateau Margaux remains an experience, even after having been there so many times. The purity of the Palladian architecture strikes me every time. And the purity and the elegance seem to be reflected in the wines as well. In spite of the imposing chateau, there is still a family feel to the property. Alexandra Mentzelopoulos is the third generation in charge of this excellent First Growth. I tasted the Chateau Margaux traditionally in the cellars.
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Margaux lost about 10% of the production to mildew
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Chateau Haut Brion 2018 – La Mission Haut Brion 2018,
1er Grand Cru Classé, Pessac-Léognan
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Ronald tasting with Jean-Philippe Masclef, the Technical director of Haut Brion
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I tasted the Haut Brion wines in the professional tasting room in the tower of the chateau with Jean-Philippe Masclef, the Technical director of Haut Brion. My tasting here included of course Haut Brion, but also La Mission Haut Brion as well as the superb white wines that are produced here.
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The beautiful Saint Emilion vineyards
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Chateau Ausone 2018,
1er Grand Cru Classé “A”, Saint Emilion
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With Alain and Pauline Vauthier of Chateau Ausone
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Ausone is unique in many ways. The chateau simply seems to dominate the village and the vineyards of Saint Emilion. And the wines produced here are among the best of the Right Bank, often leading the pack.
I tasted at the chateau with Alain Vauthier and his daughter Pauline, who is representing the next generation of the Vauthier family at the helm of this extraordinary chateau.
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Chateau Cheval Blanc 2018,
1er Grand Cru Classé “A”, Saint Emilion
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At beautiful Chateau Cheval Blanc
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If the mood of Pierre Lurton was a harbinger of the quality of the Cheval Blanc this year, then all the signs were positive. I have never seen Lurton so chipper and ready to joke and fool around. But he is dead serious about his wine. At Cheval Blanc it was extremely important to harvest the Merlots at exactly the right moment to prevent too much alcohol because over maturity is not what he aims for.
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Cheval Blanc 2018, my Right Bank wine of the year
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Chateau Angelus 2018,
1er Grand Cru Classé “A”, Saint Emilion
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With Hubert de Boüard de Laforest and Jean-Bernard Grenié of Chateau Angélus
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Chateau Angélus is a bit hidden just outside of Saint Emilion. It has been said that in the old days on this property you could hear the church bells of no less than three churches sounding the Angélus (a Roman Catholic prayer). And that is why the chateau is called Angélus.
The tastings at Chateau Angelus are very professionally organized but still remain a family affair.
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Chateau Pavie 2018,
1er Grand Cru Classé “A”, Saint Emilion
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With Gérard Perse of Chateau Pavie
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The horses were working diligently to plough the vineyard at Pavie when we were there under a beautiful sunshine. For me there is always a special Dutch link with the chateau because Gérard Perse’s wife is from the Netherlands.
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With Bruno Borie tasting an excellent Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou
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Other Left Bank 2018 ratings:
Haut Medoc, Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac and Saint Estèphe
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With Bruno Roland of Leoville Las Cases
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Other Right Bank 2018 ratings:
Saint Emilion and Pomerol
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With Alexandre Thienpont of Vieux Chateau Certan
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Our 2019 Bordeaux Wine Tour Program
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Because you want a Bordeaux Wine Experience and not “just a tour”
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The Grand Tour of Bordeaux
The Grand Tour may be the most special tour we offer, with meals as exceptional as your visits. Imagine tasting all five First Growths and Yquem. And there is more: Superb chateau meals and Michelin rated dining… Add to this the best of Pomerol and Saint Emilion and you’ll see that this dazzling Grand Tour of Bordeaux is your chance to see and taste the very best that Bordeaux has to offer.
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A master-class on tasting Classified Growths marks the
start of each of our Bordeaux Week Tours
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The Bordeaux Grand Cru tour
This is probably our most exclusive tour. This ultimate wine tour for Bordeaux lovers is as good as it gets. Can you believe that you’ll see and taste all five First Growths and Superior First Growth Chateau d’Yquem including some older vintages! Of course we include the best of Saint Emilion and Pomerol as well. Add to this outstanding meals at exceptional venues not normally open to the public and you’ll see why this tour usually sells out early.
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The Bordeaux Grand Cru Harvest Tour
The Harvest Tour is Grand in every way, both in food and wine. Enjoy chateau meals and Michelin rated dining. The most exciting time in Bordeaux is harvest time. You can sense the anticipation in the air.
And the food is superb as well: Exclusive meals at extraordinary venues not normally open to the public. On top of that you’ll see and taste all five First Growths and Superior First Growth Chateau d’Yquem and many of them will be older vintages!
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Bordeaux in full harvest swing
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2020 Bordeaux Wine Tour Schedule
(Open for booking)
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_____________________________________________________________________
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What makes our Bordeaux Wine and Culinary Tours so special?
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Exclusive touring: limited to six double/twin rooms and one single |
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Carefree and truly effortless travel in Bordeaux: We take care of everything, really everything |
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See and taste all 5 First Growths and Château Yquem! |
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Expert (and humorous) guidance by Bordeaux specialist Ronald Rens |
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Air-conditioned accommodation at our privately owned 18th century chateau |
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Taste more Classified Growths than on any other Bordeaux wine tour! |
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Grand Cru Farewell Dinner with all Grand Cru wines (including Chateau d’Yquem!) |
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Gourmet meals at Bordeaux Chateaux and a Michelin starred restaurant! |
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Grand Cru wines with all meals (except breakfast…) |
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Air-conditioned, luxury motor coach transportation throughout the tour |
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Great food and wine and a lot of fun in a small group |
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Prestigious estates, not pretentious people
It is true: Bordeaux and its wines can seem a bit intimidating at first. Don’t worry, on this tour Ronald will guide you through all this like an insider. Remember: we tour prestigious estates, not pretentious people. You’ll develop a preference for “Left-Bank” or “Right-Bank”, while visiting some of the best chateaux in the world. Our tours are both entertaining and informative. Some of our guests already know a lot about Bordeaux and its wines. For others a tour serves as a top-down introduction to the fascinating Bordeaux Wine World. Whatever your background, we can guarantee that you will have a great time.
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At Superior First Growth Yquem
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Intimate, not intimidating
We combine a down-to-earth approach with a great sense of humor. And we prefer nice people on our tours. Pretentious or obnoxious people: please stay away! We’re serious about this because it is a personal, intimate experience (i.e. with us), filled with a lot of fun, so there is no time or energy for jerks… So please only join us if you are a nice person who likes wine and want to learn more about the intriguing Bordeaux wine world and want to taste the best wines in the world while having a fun vacation.
Click here for our Tour Schedule.
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Culinary highlights and great fun!
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A Food and Wine Experience
Although this Bordeaux wine tour seems to emphasize “just” on wine, we feel wine is best enjoyed with great food. That’s why we put as much effort into the planning of the meals as we do on the planning of the vineyard visits. Our Bordeaux Wine Experiences include memorable dinners in the best restaurants of the Bordeaux area. You will enjoy a dinner at a famous Michelin starred Relais & Chateaux Restaurant.
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First Growth Mouton Rothschild, a highlight on all our week tours
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Gourmet meals in venues not normally open to the public
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Culinary highlights
And there is more! You’ll never forget those gourmet meals in different Bordeaux Chateaux.
And if that is not enough, the Farewell Dinner will be at our Chateau Coulon Laurensac. Our private chef will prepare another wonderful meal for us that we’ll accompany by an impressive succession of library wines that have been aging in our cellar, including a First Growth from an older vintage and Superior First Growth Chateau d’Yquem of over 20 years old!
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2019 Bordeaux Wine Tour Schedule
(Open for booking)
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_____________________________________________________________________
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What makes our Bordeaux Wine and Culinary Tours so special?
• |
Exclusive touring: limited to six double/twin rooms and one single |
• |
Carefree and truly effortless travel in Bordeaux: We take care of everything, really everything |
• |
See and taste all 5 First Growths and Château Yquem! |
• |
Expert (and humorous) guidance by Bordeaux specialist Ronald Rens |
• |
Air-conditioned accommodation at our privately owned 18th century chateau |
• |
Taste more Classified Growths than on any other Bordeaux wine tour! |
• |
Grand Cru Farewell Dinner with all Grand Cru wines (including Chateau d’Yquem!) |
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Gourmet meals at Bordeaux Chateaux and a Michelin starred restaurant! |
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Grand Cru wines with all meals (except breakfast…) |
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Air-conditioned, luxury motor coach transportation throughout the tour |
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Great food and wine and a lot of fun in a small group |
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Chateau Coulon Laurensac, without a doubt the best place in the world to taste all five First Growths and Yquem…
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The Bordeaux Wine Experience
at Chateau Coulon Laurensac
1, chemin de Meydieu
33360 Latresne (BORDEAUX), France
Website : www.BXWINEX.com
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Call us:
1-877-203-2665 (toll free from USA & Canada) or
+33 556 20 64 12 (from anywhere else in the world)
(These lines go directly to our Chateau in Bordeaux so please remember that we’re on Paris time!)
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Copyright © 2019 by The Bordeaux Wine Experience. All rights reserved. The content, design and graphical elements of this Magazine are copyrighted. The Bordeaux Wine Experience is a Dutch company specializing in wine and culinary tours in the Bordeaux region for an English speaking international clientele.
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