18th of July 2024 - Saint-Émilion

Today we visited the hilltop town of Saint-Émilion which has both exceptional architecture and historic vineyards.  The Romans were the first to plant grapes here and this was the first vineyard region to be protected by UNESCO because of its history.  The town itself has medieval ramparts, steep cobblestone streets and many wine shops.

 

I was then part of a group that visited Château Beauséjour Bécot.  We were taken on a tour of the property including a massive network of quite dark underground cellars.  I was surprised to see large pottery receptables being used for part of the wine production process..  Another surprise was seeing vine roots growing through into the cellars.

 

Our tour ended with a tasting of four red wines including two that were designated as Grand Cru.

Roses are planted at the end of rows of vines as an early warning system for the winegrower.  They attract insects like aphids before the vines.  They also get fungal disease like black rot and mildew before the vines do.  The strain of mildew that roses are susceptible to is not the same as for vines but if the conditions are good for mildew on roses then almost certainly are good for downy mildew on vines too.

After the Château tour we went back to the town of Saint-Émilion for free time and lunch.  I found a delightful terraced restaurant where I had a meal of veal tartare with potato salad.

17th of July 2024 - Blaye and Bourg sur Gironde

We started the day with a drive from Blaye along the Route de la Corniche Fleurie.  The road winded between limestone cliffs on one side and the Gironde on the other.  There were 19th-century stone houses built by sea captains below the cliffs and wooden fishing huts on stilts standing above the waters of the estuary.

 

When we returned to Blaye we visited the historic Blaye fortress which is a UNESCO-designated citadel that once protected Bordeaux from attacks by sea.  This citadel contains the ruins of a medieval castle, houses, squares and streets all within the fortress walls.  There was a great view of the estuary from these walls including of the S.S. Bon Voyage.

 

The tide was out when we were in Blaye so all there was of the river was mud.

 

In the afternoon we did a walking tour of Bourg also informally known as Bourg-sur-Gironde.  Bourg originated as a fortified villa built by the Roman prefect Pontius Paulinus in the 4th century.  The first picture is of what used to be the communal washhouse.  I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't want to wash my clothes in this water.

16th of July 2024 - The Médoc

 

The Médoc region has many prestigious wine châteaux with an array of architectural styles.  There are also well as miles of grapevines stretching as far as the eye can see.

Fort Médoc was built by Vauban on the left bank of the Gironde estuary.  This was with the intention of protecting Bordeaux against the risk of invasion from the river together with Fort Paté and the Blaye Citadel which are located on the right hand bank of the Gironde.  Fort Médoc the Citadel of Blaye, its city walls and Fort Paté were listed in 2008 as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

 

In the morning there was an oyster tasting at Fort Médoc.  Unfortunately I am allergic to oysters however many others enjoyed the beautifully fresh oysters brought from only an hour away.  At least I had a taste of the Entre-Deux-Mers that was offered to drink with the oysters.  I also enjoyed a stroll around Fort Médoc.

 

We took a scenic drive in the afternoon through the Médoc wine route from Pauillac to the tip of the Médoc peninsula past vineyards of the region.  These vineyards including Château Latour, Mouton Rothschild and Pichon Longueville Baron.

 

The drive ended by visiting the cellars of the Camensac wine estate followed by a wine tasting.

15th of July 2024 - Château Royal de Cazeneuve and Sauternes

The French region of Cadillac is known for its deliciously flavoured dessert wines including Sauternes.  Sauternes wine is made from Sémillon, sauvignon blanc, and muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot.  This causes the grapes to become partially like raisins, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavoured wines.  Due to its climate, Sauternes is one of the few wine regions where infection with noble rot is a frequent occurrence.  Wines from Sauternes, especially the Premier Cru Supérieur estate Château d'Yquem.  Sauterne wines can be very expensive, largely due to the very high cost of production.

Our day started with a coach drive though the region passing the vineyards of a number of wine producing châteaux including Château d'Yquem pictured below (please excuse the blurred photos, they were taken from a moving coach).

 

We visited Château Royal de Cazeneuve, a polygonal 14th-century fortress with a royal pedigree.  This was a favoured residence of King Henri IV of France who inherited it from his mother, Jeanne d’Albret. The beautifully restored château still belongs to descendants of the Albret family.  We were not allowed to take photos inside the château though of course could do so outside.

 

At the end of the visit we had the chance to sample a glass of Sauternes from the Château Royal de Cazeneuve which was very enjoyable.  The Sauternes went particularly well with dark chocolate covered raisins.

 

French wine producers are facing several significant challenges due to climate change.  A particular challenge is compliance with the French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) regulations making wine production more complex and costly.  The AOC regulations specify which grapes can be used so the wine producers would lose their AOC label if they used grapes more suited to the changing climate.

In the afternoon, back on the ship, I went to a wine tasting led by the ship's sommelier.  The three wines included a Rhône valley white, a red Bordeaux and a Sauternes.  I particularly enjoyed the red wine which was a Pomerol costing a mere €150 a bottle.  This is probably the most expensive wine that I have every tasted.

14th of July 2024 - Arrival in Bordeaux

Today I had a 6.15am flight from London Gatwick to Bordeaux to spend a week on a Bordeaux river cruise.

Bordeaux is an area of France that I have not visited before.  The day was spent travelling and settling in on the S.S. Bon Voyage.  To be honest I was too shattered after the early start to do anything much.

The 14th of July is Bastille Day which is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the Fête Nationale Française.  This day is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, a major event of the French Revolution, as well as the Fête de la Fédération that celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790.  Celebrations are held throughout France.  In Bordeaux this includes a firework display on the river.

We were meant to sail overnight from Bordeaux to Cadillac but were not allowed to do so during the Bastille Day firework display.  After this, the tides were against us.