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| Wine-tasting at Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion |
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| A collection of Carmes Haut-Brion's finest |
No matter. The tour turned out to be a private tour of a charming vineyard and winery in the middle of a suburb of Bordeaux. Our guide was excellent and the wine was, indeed, lovely.
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| Lunch; Photo: Scott Stevens |
Because we arrived very early (that driving thing), we stopped by to make sure everything was OK and our guide recommended a local restaurant that Scott cannot stop talking about. I had a small cheese plate. He had a steak and another fois gras (this one grilled) and he was in heaven.
As we were chatting at lunch, Scott informed me that he really didn’t want to go to Nice, where I had booked three nights about eight days out. He does this. We plan. We discuss. He agrees.
Then, he lets me know that he doesn’t want to do something (and he probably never did). This is why I almost always book refundable lodging (and, fortunately, our reservation in Nice was well within the cancellation period).
I really wanted to see Nice and maybe Monaco, but I also realized that it would probably be hot and crowded and it would not be fun with a reluctant companion. This put me off my game a little for the tour, but that evening, I did some research and picked a part of the Riviera that was closer and allegedly less busy (plus less expensive).
I booked a hotel for two nights instead of three in Les Issambres, which I think is the Riviera for the less wealthy (think Destin vs. South Beach), and I booked a cottage in Lus-La-Croix-Haute, halfway to our next destination in the French Alps. I was taking a chance here. Scott didn’t want to go to the Riviera at all. I did.
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| This was a compromise I hoped would work |
This did decrease our driving and, I must admit, probably improved the trip. I’ll have to catch Nice later, maybe with the girls.
But, back to our winery tour …
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| Château Carmes Haut-Brion; Photo: Scott Stevens |
The property shares its origins with Châteaux Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, Laville Haut-Brion and La Tour Haut-Brion, all once part of the Haut-Brion estate that belonged to Jean de Pontac.
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| The river flows through |
After the Revolution, it was confiscated and sold at auction to Léon Colin, whose descendant lineage maintained ownership of the estate into the 21st Century with the Chantecaille-Furt family. In 2010, Didier Chantecaille-Furt and his daughter Penelope sold Les Carmes Haut-Brion to real estate executive Patrice Pichet for almost $20 million, reported to be a "record price.”
The estate has 12 acres of vines comprising 50 percent Merlot, 40 percent Cabernet Franc and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
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| The vineyard; Upper left photo: Scott Stevens |
Each year, the estate produces approximately 1,800 cases of a red grand vin named Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion and 200 cases of a second red wine name Le Clos des Carmes.
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| The winery; Photo: Scott Stevens |
The property is interesting because, although quite small, it has multiple terroirs (areas defined by different soil type).
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| Each white section is a separate terroir |
The tasting room and store are in what was originally a barn.
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Simple design outside ...
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The château, which the family lived in even after the vineyard was sold, sits on the property.
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| The château is the logo; Left photo: Scott Stevens |
The actual winery, an Avant Garde building designed by Philippe Starck and Luc Arsène-Henry, opened in 2016 and looks like a stainless-steel ship moored in the narrow River Peugue that passes through the vineyard. The nautical design reflects Bordeaux's seafaring history, primarily as a port for shipping French wines all over the world.
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| Very unusual design |
The inside of the winery is pristine and features casks bearing distinctive artwork, which is also featured on some of the labels of corresponding vintages.
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| A new design every year |
The ultramodern look of this building is a striking contrast with the old château and some of the winery’s old-school practices, including using draught horses to do a lot of the work during harvest.
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| Lily, a Percheron Draught Horse |
That is not to say that the actual winery is outdated. Nope.
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| The winery is brand-new, high-tech and sparkling clean; Photo: Scott Stevens |
Like so many wineries, the grounds feature some random works of art.
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| Even our host had no idea why there was a studded alligator on the lawn |
Speaking of harvest: we were a bit early. They were starting the next week and I doubt seriously that they would offer tours during harvest. The winery is just too small for that.
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| Looking through the window at the vineyards |
Our guide was excellent. She gave us a good overview of the vineyard and wine-making process without getting too technical. We tasted three very nice reds. Scott didn't buy any, but maybe he'll pick up some 2024 in a few years.
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| Tasting |
After the tour, we were supposed to spend the night at the LOLA Boutique Hôtel - Bordeaux Centre in the city center. But, the neighborhood was crowded, did not have the promised “nearby” parking and looked to be in a loud, not particularly nice area. Scott wasn’t having it. I wasn't thrilled either and didn't want to die on the hill of one night at a hotel I had selected.
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| Where we ended up; Photo: Scott Stevens |
We stayed at the Logis Domaine de Fompeyre in Bazas. It was absolutely lovely and efficiently got us on our way the next day.
The restaurant was fully booked for dinner, so we had charcuterie/fromage boards in the bar. Also lovely and plenty of food. Scott ordered a martini and had to teach the bartender how to make it.
This happened a couple of times on our trip. I guess the French don't drink martinis.
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| A good start; Photo: Scott Stevens |
And, we had a lovely evening and a better start in the morning.
I hear Bordeaux is nice, but it looked like a big, crowded city to us and that is not our thing (oh, yeah, we drove out of town at rush hour, so …).
Trip Dates: September 4-26, 2024
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