Dirt Road Wine Club™ In Conjunction with Into the Vineyard Presents…
Best of Bordeaux Wine Tour Itinerary prepared for Carl Henrickson October 5th to October 10th, 2020
Monday, October 5th – Arrival into Bordeaux On arrival into Bordeaux, make you way to your accommodations for check-in and to enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.
Bordeaux is bottled history with a fascinating story to tell. Now a vibrant, sophisticated city, its history is long and intricately interwoven with its agriculture. Bordeaux is the largest fine wine district on earth. Long revered as a French wine icon Bordeaux wine is age-worthy, much sought after, and highly prized. There is more Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grown in this southwest corner of France than anywhere else on earth. 10,000 producers craft these two varieties and their supporting cast into polished full-flavored red blends.
Tonight, gather for a welcome reception. An inaugural social event offers you a chance to meet your tour coordinators and discuss the events to follow. Appetizers and wine will be provided.
Overnight at your hotel.
Your accommodations for the next 5 nights Grand Hotel Bordeaux A favorite hideaway in the city, Grand Hotel de Bordeaux & Spa occupies an enviable position across from the Opéra de Bordeaux. Having undergone a complete restoration — without losing its original beauty and character — the hotel now offers a gourmet restaurant that serves fresh seafood and fine local wines, as well as a casual brasserie Le Bordeaux that draws upon the best local ingredients. Newly opened is a sublime, lavishly decorated spa. The Wine Concierge is available to help you enjoy the perfect vintage.
Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 2
Tuesday, October 6th – Wines of the Right Bank In the morning, meet your guide at your accommodations and depart towards Saint-Emilion for a day of discovery.
This unique area was the first wine producing landscape classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Described as "the nectar of the gods" by King Louis XIV when he visited Libourne, the wines of Saint-Émilion are warm, generous and full-bodied, with a fine color. They acquire a highly distinctive bouquet as they age.
This morning you will be welcomed for a private visit of a small producer of the Right Bank. The owner of the winery will be your host. She will guide your visit to cellar and present their wines. The visit will be followed by a typical Bordeaux lunch at the winery, likely to feature including the famous "entrecote à la bordelaise".
Our next visit of the day is likely to be Château Franc Mayne. Enjoy a special visit with a walk through the former quarries of the property which are used today to age the barrels. Learn about the importance of the limestone plateau in which the winery is located, along with the historical importance of Saint-Emilion in the Middle Ages when Bordeaux was English and the 100 Year War was brought to an end by the Battle of Castillon.
The last stop today will be at Château Petit Village in Pomerol and the visit will be followed by a 3 Vintages Vertical. This winery is located a top the magnificent Pomerol plateau; a stunning setting to relax before carrying on with the rest of your visits.
You will be taken back to your hotel after the visit. Dinner at leisure, with recommendations, and overnight at your accommodation.
Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 3
Wednesday, October 7th – Wines of the Left Bank This morning meet your private guide at your hotel and set out together for a day of exquisite tastings. Today we find ourselves in the Médoc. The Médoc, meaning “amid the waters”, is the area north of Bordeaux stretching up between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde estuary. It was only in the 17th century that vineyards were introduced here thanks to wealthy wine sellers from the Netherlands, England and Ireland. Proud of their success, they built extravagant and often quite unusual châteaux. The classification of the Médoc wines, established for the universal exhibition in Paris in 1855, gave them international renown.
This morning, enjoy a tour and tasting at Château Lascombes in Margaux. Château Lascombes, a 2emé Cru Classé property is one of the largest estates in the Médoc and probably the most fragmented, with around 40 or so different parcels of vines spread throughout the Margaux appellation. It was owned between 1951 and 1971 by Alexis Lichine and was owned by Bass until the 2001. The blend at Lascombes is made up of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, and the wine is aged in oak barriques for 18 months. Lascombes produces elegant, well-balanced clarets, rich in succulent creamy blackcurrant fruits, which gain further complexity and depth with ageing. Here, you will have the opportunity to sit down to a 3 vintage vertical tasting.
Next, we will make our way to Château Lamothe Bergeron for a discovery of their great wines and to enjoy a picnic lunch on site. Deemed to be one of the leading Cru Bourgeois Supérieur wines of the 19th century, a status retained today, Lamothe-Bergeron has always been a benchmark Haut- Médoc wine. Nestled between the terroirs of Margaux and Saint-Julien, Lamothe-Bergeron forms part of the closed circle of chateaux with a river view. Occupying the best gravels left by the Gironde estuary, the magical soil warms the grapes, providing perfect drainage and producing grapes with finesse.
Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 4
Afterwards, you will be welcomed for a visit at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe. For over two hundred years, it belonged to the Lafon family, who managed to keep hold of it through the turmoil of the French Revolution. They also lived to see its ultimate recognition in the 1855 classification, when Lafon-Rochet was admitted to the very select club of great growths, one of only five in Saint-Estèphe. Ideally situated, Lafon-Rochet features some of the finest vineyard land in the world. It is not hard to see why Guy Tesseron, well-known for the quality of his old Cognac, became interested in acquiring the estate over forty years ago. Thanks to their unceasing care and attention, Lafon-Rochet is one of the finest wines in Saint-Estèphe. You will be able to have a special tasting experience with wines directly from the oak barrel of their new vintage, and 3 of their “made wines”.
Your guide will return you to your accommodations in Bordeaux at the end of the day to enjoy dinner at your leisure.
Thursday, October 8th – Bay of Arcachon The Bay of Arcachon is an interior sea with a small opening to the Atlantic, backed by a pine tree forest. A mild climate, beaches and vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see. Embark on a tour around Bassin d'Arcachon aboard two classic pinasse boats, including a special tasting at an oyster farm.
The Bay of Arcachon opens up to the Atlantic Ocean and houses a small inland sea of about 155 km² at high tide where people farm oysters or go fishing, boating and swimming for fun. Stop in one of the typical oyster villages with its narrow streets and its oyster huts: perhaps taste oysters paired with a glass of local white wine!
Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 5
Continue on your boat ride to look at the long and thin promontory of Cap Ferret at the entrance to Arcachon lagoon. The area has been developed today as a seaside resort, with holiday villas scattered among the pines.
Lunch will be arranged at one of our favorite restaurants in Arcachon.
In the afternoon, you will have ample time to discover the highest sand dune in Europe, the Dune of Pyla. The 100+ meter high dune can be climbed by a wooden stairway – or the more energetic can test their endurance directly on the sand. Once you reach the top, all your efforts are rewarded with breathtaking views over the whole Arcachon Basin. Down below, stretching between the ocean and the Bassin lies the vast Arguin Sandbank, where a variety of species of seabirds live together in perfect harmony.
At the end of the day, your guide will bring you to your accommodations.
Dinner and overnight at leisure.
Friday, October 9th – Entre Deux Mers to Sauternes Situated between the rivers Garonne and Dordogne, the Entre-Deux-Mers region is without any doubt the most attractive region for wine lovers in search of history. Established during the Gallo- Roman era, the vineyards developed principally during the Middle Ages under the influence of the Benedictine monks, as reflected by the Sauve Majeure Abbey as well as numerous Romanesque churches. At the end of the 13th century, the first “bastides” emerged in this part of English Aquitaine. A visit to one of these fortified towns, particularly on a market day, takes you back to the past when cultivation of the land and local traditions were intimately linked. The appellation Entre-Deux-Mers is reserved for dry white wines, but the region features many other AOCs, thus producing the full range of Bordeaux wines: dry white, sweet white, rosé, clairet and red.
Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 6
Drive through the beautiful landscape of the Entre-Deux-Mers crossing its picturesque landscapes and bastide towns, and detour to visit a family property to enjoy both white and red wines.
Afterwards, board a traditional boat called a “gabarre” for a picturesque ride along the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. Enjoy a lunch aboard the boat, serving the traditional Lamproie a la Bordelaise (beef rib eye with red wine sauce).
We continue on the road through Entre Deux Mers and cross the Garonne river into the Sauternes wine region.
After lunch, we will be welcomed through the doors of Premier Cru Classé, Château Guiraud. Guiraud’s strength lies, among other aspects, in the fact that its workforce has been living in this very land for an average of 20 years. Wine is just like the people who make it: it evolves slowly but surely. Thus, the making of a great growth is the result of a long and continuous thinking. Enjoy a vertical tasting of 3 vintages from the estate.
Next, you will be welcomed to another estate such as Château de Portets for visit and tasting. Enjoy beautiful views over the river Garonne, an ancient stronghold in Roman times, as you sit down to a tasting of their red and white productions.
Your guide will return you to your accommodations at the end of the day to enjoy dinner at your leisure.
Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 7
Saturday, October 10th – Departure After checking out today, make your own way to the Bordeaux Airport to catch your departing flights. We will be happy to assist with transportation arrangements.
Bon Voyage!
Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 8
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
INCLUSIONS: • Bespoke organization of the tour • Bilingual guide with expert regional knowledge • Regional restaurant recommendations and reservations upon request • 5 nights accommodation in Bordeaux at Grand Hotel Bordeaux – Junior Suite, breakfast included • Welcome social with appetizers and wine included • Full day private wine touring of the Right Bank – wine tastings and lunch included • Full day private wine touring of the Left Bank – wine tastings and lunch included • Full day private touring of Arcachon – boat ride, oyster and wine tasting, lunch included • Full day private wine touring of Entre Deux Mers – wine tastings, boat ride and lunch included
Actual chateaux lineup subject to change based on availability
EXCLUSIONS: • International and domestic airfare • Any entrance tickets not mentioned in the inclusions • All meals and beverages if not mentioned in the inclusions • Gratuity (at your discretion) • Travel Insurance • Items of a Personal Nature
ITINERARY PRICING $3,555 USD per person based on 20 travelers double occupancy ➢ $1,635 USD Single Supplement
A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 USD is required at time of booking.
Full payment due 90 days prior to travel and is non-refundable.
Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 9
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Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 10
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Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 11
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Into The Vineyard – www.IntoTheVineyard.com Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 1 855 848 3899 Suite 200 - 1807 Maritime Mews. Vancouver, Canada, V6H 3W7 12