A Guide to Bordeaux

Overview

Bordeaux, a small port city in southwestern France, hub of the famed wine-growing region, it's literally a wine lover’s paradise.

Why we love Bordeaux?

  • Easily reachable by rail from either London or Paris. 
  • There's no specific high season for tourist, it's the same all-year round. 
  • There are some of the worlds top luxury properties with their own Michelin star restaurants, surrounded by vineyards. 
  • Day trip galore (Besides the vineyard visits, there are other options for day trips include the beautiful town of St Emilion; Médoc, home to a clutch of famous Bordeaux wine châteaux and Arcachon, an endearing seaside spot known for its oysters. 
  • Wine, wine and more wine (it also has the world's greatest wine museum).

 

Highlights

Merlot is the most planted red wine grape in the vineyards of Bordeaux, accounting for around 65 percent of all vines, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon at 23 percent, and then Cabernet Franc at 10 percent.
Visiting Chateaus is done privately, making 3 appointments a day is more than enough.
The longest Marathon in the world is held every September through the vineyards of Medoc.
 
Bordeaux City and South of Bordeaux

  • La Cité du Vin, the City of Wine, is a modern museum in Bordeaux.
  • Place Gambetta: a pretty square surrounded by good shops and restaurants.
  • Cours de l’Intendence street for luxury shopping in Bordeaux.
  • Rue Ste-Catherine: the busiest street in Bordeaux.

South of the city of Bordeaux is Graves, named after the high content of gravel in the soil. The only Premier Cru outside the Médoc is Château Haut-Brion, which lies in Pessac, now a suburb of Bordeaux. Further south lie Sauternes and Barsac. Sauternes is home to Château d’Yquem, the most famous and the most expensive sweet wine in the world.

 
Our Favorite Hotels: 

 
Saint-Emilion and Pomerol
Wines that you will taste there are blended with a majority of Merlot: they are fruity, fresh medium-bodied and delicate. Saint-Emilion is more scenic due to the UNESCO World Heritage Site/Village, and the cellars in the limestone rock. The two A-class Grand Cru wines of St-Émilion are Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone.

And if you are into the most expensive wine in the world:

  • Le Pin
  • Petrus

 

Our Favorite Hotel: 

  • Hostellerie de Plaisance, Relais & Chateaux hotel and has a 2 starred Michelin guide gastronomic restaurant, La Table de Plaisance.

 
Médoc
Médoc is the area that concentrate the highest proportion of prestigious châteaux powerful and aromatic wines. The best-known appellations are Margaux, St-Julien, Pauillac and St-Estèphe. The premier crus, which are the head of the class, are the Châteaux Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux and the Mouton-Rothschild.

  • Château Cordeillan-Bages the owner  of this hotel is the cofounder of Relais & Chateaux, so I guess you can imagine the luxury. They also enable wine enthusiasts at VINIV (takes a year or six months) to create their own blend of wine.
  • Château La Tour Carnet the properties has great wine experinces tours.
  • Saint Estephe is one of the wine villages of Medoc The wines from Saint-Estephe are richly colored and deeply flavored, and are known for their longevity
  • Chateau Montrose

 
Our Favorite Propety:
The Chartreuse at Cos D’Estournel the private residence of Michel Reybier and his family. With six bedrooms and two suites, the Chartreuse is only available to rent in its entirety.

We can also prepare for you a private cycling trip with a guide in and around Bordeaux.