The Bordeaux Trip
Introducing an exceptional, one-of-a-kind four day trip to Bordeaux for wine lovers
A completely unique trip to the finest estates of Bordeaux Tours, vertical tastings and exquisite winemaker lunches & dinners across Bordeaux 25-28 September, 2024
Image: Château Palmer in Margaux.
Clos Fine Wine & Wild Boar Wine invite wine lovers to join us on an exceptional trip to Bordeaux, months in the making, from Wednesday 25 until Saturday 28 September; a trip with Château access that no other tour can match.
Through our unique access to estates in the region, we are delighted to offer Bordeaux lovers this one-of-a-kind experience, with accommodation at a Château-owned five star hotel, return flights and transfers included.
On Wednesday 25 we travel through Pessac-Léognan, on Thursday 26 we journey through perhaps the most famous wine apellations in the world in the Médoc, and on Friday 27 we journey to the Right Bank, taking in Saint-Émilion.
Read on to see full details of this limited availability trip.
OUR ACCOMMODATION
THE MONDRIAN BORDEAUX, LES CARMES
We will stay at the stunning 5-star Mondrian hotel, designed by Philippe Starck and located in the central Chartrons district of Bordeaux.
The Mondrian is part-owned by Château Les Carmes Haut Brion and is the result of the wonderful transformation of the Calvet cellar, an emblematic 19th-century building in the heart of Bordeaux.
Guests can retire at the end of each day spent enjoying the finest wines in Bordeaux in the comfort and luxury of this special hotel, which also features a spa.
“This hotel is a warm place, with a rare quality of staging and lighting. A place to be, above all, extremely well, a place that is clearly French and Bordeaux but that will transport you elsewhere, to a totally invented elsewhere.” Philippe Starck
Above: The sumptuous grounds of Malartic-Lagravière, location of the first gala dinner of the trip.
Below left: Haut-Bailly, with its modern winery. Below right: Les Carmes Haut Brion
DAY ONE WEDNESDAY 25 SEPT PESSAC-LÉOGNAN
After arrival in Bordeaux, our private vehicles will take us to Les Carmes Haut Brion for a tasting and light lunch. Increasingly making wines that achieve some of the highest scores in Bordeaux and with its Philippe Starck designed chais, this is an exceptional property.
We will then enjoy vertical tastings with the winemaker at both Pape Clément , with its chais lined with Papal regalia, and Haut Bailly with is futuristic, multi-levelled winery and chais.
Our first day concludes with an exceptional private wine dinner hosted by the owner at the beautiful Malartic-Lagravière , with a private chef and a kaleidoscopic range of back vintages and large format bottles, direct from their family cellar.
DAY TWO THURSDAY 26 SEPT
SAINT-ESTÈPHE, PAUILLAC, MARGAUX, SAINT-JULIEN
Day two begins with a drive up the Médoc to Saint-Estèphe to head for a vertical wine tasting and tour at Phélan Ségur with legendary director, Véronique Dausse. Situated close to the river and in acres of gardens, the property’s heritage is on show in its vast entertaining rooms.
We then head for an event that money cannot buy: a lunch with owner and winemaker Alfred Tesseron at Pontet Canet , the biodynamic Bordeaux trailblazer in Pauillac with a bevvy of 100-points scores. We will enjoy exceptional vintages from the family cellar with lunch by the estate’s in-house chef, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from and dine with the Tesseron family.
Following on the biodynamic path, we’ll head past the imposing frontage of Château Margaux to visit a boutique biodynamic producer in Margaux, Coteau and taste their tremendous wines.
Our trip then takes us to a very special tour and vertical tasting in the cellars at the world-famous architecture of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac with general manager Nicolas Glumineau.
We conclude with a sumptuous reception & dinner at Lagrange in Saint-Julien, where a Michelin-starred Japanese chef will delight us across several courses whilst we will drink utterly exquisite wines from across Bordeaux, including First Growths, blind: an excellent examination of the tastebuds!
Above: Resplendent Pontet Canet in Pauillac, where we’ll enjoy a one-of-a-kind winemaker lunch with Alfred Tesseron Below left: Phélan Ségur. Below right: Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Below: The entrance to Canon, where we dine for lunch on the third day of the trip
Bottom left: The sprawling estate of Pavie.
Bottom right: L’Eglise Clinet in Pomerol
DAY THREE FRIDAY 27 SEPT
SAINT-ÉMILION & POMEROL
Our final full day begins on the Right Bank of Bordeaux with a triptych of world-famous estates. We begin with a trip to 1er Grand Cru Classé ‘A’ estate, Pavie , whose tasting room overlooks the vines of Saint-Émilion.
Next we stop for a special vertical tasting at L’Eglise Clinet in Pomerol whose small production levels and eye-watering scores see insatiable global demand. We then head to critically-acclaimed Figeac and its glorious new winery and chais, for a tasting of several vintages with their winemaker.
We will enjoy a very special winemaker lunch at Château Canon , featuring an impressive selection of vintages of one of the most recognisable wines on the Right Bank, with many 100-point scores to its name. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the trip.
In the afternoon we head to two very special properties on the Right Bank for vertical tastings. Firstly, Calicem , a property of less than a hectare that produces under 3,000 bottles a year. We then finish with a tasting at Sansonnet , whose location on the top of the Saint-Émilion plateau affords spectacular views.
To finish day three we will enjoy a special dinner in the heart of Bordeaux at Michelin-starred Tentazioni , accompanied by a very special selection of the best wines that Bordeaux has to offer from the finest vintages, introduced by the restaurant owner.
DAY FOUR SATURDAY 28 SEPT
BORDEAUX CENTRE
A walking tour of the centre of Bordeaux, followed by a light lunch.
Image: Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux
PRICE & DETAILS
This uniquely special trip to Bordeaux is designed for a small group of ten people, with tickets therefore extremely limited.
£3,950 per person
Wednesday 25 - Saturday 28 September, 2024
Ticket price includes:
+ Return flights to Bordeaux from the UK
+ Private transport for the duration of the trip
+ Three nights at five-star Mondrian hotel in Bordeaux (inc. taxes)
+ All Château tours and tastings
+ Five special Château lunches & dinners with vintage verticals
+ Dinner at Michelin-starred restaurant, including iconic wines
Rooms based on individual rooms. Guests who share a delux room receive a £1,000 discount to the second ticket price.
Please contact Dominic at Clos Fine Wine (info@closfinewine.com) to secure your tickets.