Day 1

Monday 3th April

Thick fog and a nonfunctional sat nav was a great start
to the tortuous driving route that was laid out for the
day. However the joys of google maps and some techy
genius from our Bordeaux Buyer, Daphne Teremetz,
got us pointing the right way up the Gironde towards
St Julien. "Follow the river and point downstream" were
the instructions that covered it.

First stop is traditionally Ducru Beaucaillou. We were their first visitors
of the week so everyone was practising their walky-talky etiquette.
Effusive greetings from Bruno Borie in his red trousers and a great
tasting through his range, showing that the word on the street that all
is well with the 2016 vintage was quite true.

On to Pauillac for the Pichon pair that face each other across the
road. Fine wines both, but for me, the Baron has it with astonishing
fine texture and purity of fruit. Petit Village from Pomerol and the
Griffon de Baron (second wine) were also a treat to behold.

Pontet Canet is an old favourite of mine and we were warmly
welcomed with decanters of wine and discussions of biodynamics
in poor weather conditions. And my goodness it was worth the black
teeth - such elegance and crackling acidity simply made me grin like
a maniac. Just to really cheer things along they laid on a splendid
lunch with the finest cheese board I have ever encountered. Between
us, Daphne and I tried 12 different cheeses, my happiest being the
"farmy" Munster, which put me in mind of why my dog enjoys rolling in sheep poo so much. An epic meal to fortify us.

Back down the road to Bordeaux for the
large Union de Grand Cru tasting in Hangar
14 (so romantically named). At the Quai de
Chartrons we entered a car park seemingly
miles away but found a shortcut, on the third
level, that took us half a mile along to where
we needed to be. Clever eh! Huge and
tiring tasting but many wines proving time
and again that the quality of the vintage is
excellent overall.

After a final tasting at Domaine de Vallier we
topped the day off with a lovely dinner with
the splendid Valerie Calvet her team.

Day 2

Tuesday 4th April

Joined by our very own one woman paparazzi team,
Georgie Clarke, for a couple of days to document the
trip, the weather gods favoured us with a glorious
sunrise as we motored back north up the Gironde for
day two on the left bank.

We start the day with Lafite and Mouton Rothschild, and what a
pleasure. Lafite being utterly sublime and impossible to argue against
from a purely qualitative perspective. Honestly, sometimes it is very
easy to feel thoroughly over-privileged at nine o'clock in the morning.

A short trot down the road for an
impromptu visit to our old friends at Grand
Puy Lacoste, where the welcome is warm
and the wine is good, the 2016 being
absolutely no exception - another one to
add to the wish list!

This little extra entertainment left us
marginally behind at arriving at Château
Leoville Lascases where we had a wonderful
tasting of the Estate wines including the
best Potensac I have ever tasted and a real
eye opener with the Petit Lion de Lascases,
their second wine. This seems to be a bit of
a year for brilliant second wines.

Day 3

Wednesday 5th April

Today was the day for the Right Bank and Pessac
inspections. Armed with coffee, chocolate biscuits
and bananas for breakfast we beat the traffic across
the river and had time for a little tootle round old St
Emilion before the amazingness of Château Ausone (an
outstanding stable of wines), Angelus and Cheval Blanc
in quick succession where we saw Merlot and Cabernet
Franc come into their own this vintage.

Some further detailed explanations of the weather through the
growing season and its effect on the wines this year gave a greater
understanding of what we were tasting and just why they have such
balance of fine tannin grip, ripeness and acidity.

Lunch at Château Couspaude, as always,
involved a dark & shadowy and somewhat
Game of Thrones style route through the
cellar before the reward of a sit down and
replenishment. Château La Mission Haut
Brion was a restful pleasure in the panelled
tasting room with chairs and silence to get to
grips with the racehorse stable of wines they
produce. Again, great Grands Vins and also
brilliant second wines which can offer such
good value.