A beautiful sunny day.  Our first visit is to the prestigious third growth Chateau Palmer.  In the heart of the Margaux appellation this winery never fails to please clients.   Their pristine cellars and delicious wines are hard to beat.  We tasted both the Chateau Palmer and the Alter Ego 2007.  Both wines were tasting very well.

A quick drive up the D2 Wine Route for a few essential photo opportunities of Chateau Lafite Rothschilde and Cos d’Estournel then we were back to Cordeillan Bages in Pauillac for the highlight of the day.

Appetizer Gaspacho with tempura anchovy

1st Course Crab Royale

Fish course

The famous vine smoked beef preparation

Smoked beef

Pre dessert? I love this restaurant!

Yummy raspberry mousse with raspberry sorbet and raspberries in raspberry liqueur!

Our wine tasting day starts at a Grand Cru Classe property on the limestone slopes of St Emilion. Chateau Franc Mayne boasts several kilometers of underground quaries which make this area so unique.

We followed our visit by a light lunch on the terrace of the Relais & Chateaux Hostellerie de Plaisance in the town center.  The Michelin starred restaurant is open only at night but the privileged few who know about it can dine overlooking the cobble stoned streets of St Emilion.

The view is fantastic from the terrace of Hostellerie de Plaisance.

American owned Chateau Fonplegade was our last stop.  We had a quick comparison of 3 of their 6 chateau with the two wines from Fonplegade.   The day ended with fireworks of course over La Tour du Vieux Port in Libourne.

Bastille Day Fireworks in Libourne

Stay tuned, tomorrow we go to the Medoc and have a fantastic lunch at the Relais & Chateaux Cordeillan Bages where young chef Jean Luc Rocha is following of from the acclaimed Thierry Marx who left for greener pastures this spring.

Today we start with Smith Haut Lafitte with it’s own barrel maker. Owner Daniel Cathiard met us during the tasting and took us down into the well hidden secret cellar. (photo)

Next we move on to Chateau Haut Bailly, the only property in Leognan, known primarily for its whites, which produces only red wines.  American owned, this property has one of the best wine gadget shops.  Oh, and the wine is spectacular too! We tasted Chateau La Parde 2007 and Ch. Haut Bailly 2007.  Both stunning.

We break for a refreshing lunch at Les Sources de Caudalie’s relaxed Restaraunt La Table du Lavoir. The food was light and delicious especially the strawberry Mille feuille and chocolate melting cake.

We finish off with Carbonnieux and their beautiful 13th century Perigordian style chateau.

Tomorrow is Bastille Day in St Emilion. Stay tuned.

So far since the beginning of the year Decanter Tours has hosted  over 150 clients on wine tours in Bordeaux. Over 150 people have left Bordeaux more educated on the wines and the properties.  Why dont you join them?  There is still time to organize your Bordeaux holiday for September or even October.

Following is a sample of just one of our Bordeaux wine tours. We can easily adapt this to your schedule and your choice of chateaux.  Contact us for more details.

Wednesday

10:30 am     Meet Mary Dardenne in the Lobby of Cordeillan Bages. Depart for Margaux.

11:00 am      Visit and tasting at Chateau Margaux, Margaux.

12:00            Lunch at Pichon Longueville Baron, Pauillac            

2:00 pm      Visit and tasting at Pichon Longueville Baron Pauillac.

3:30pm        Visit and tasting at Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac.

4:45             Transfer back to Cordeillan Bages.

Thursday

10:00 am      Visit and tasting at la Mission Haut Brion, Pessac.

11:00  am      Transfer to St Emilion and Hostellerie de Plaisance.

12:00  pm       Lunch at L’Envers du Décor, St Emilion

2:30  pm          Visit and Tasting at Chateau Petit Villages, Pomerol.

3:30  pm         Visit and Tasting at Chateau la Conseillante, Pomerol.

4:45  pm         Transfer back to Hostellerie de Plaisance.

Friday

10:30 am       Visit and tasting at Chateau Cheval Blanc, St Emilion.

12:00 pm       Lunch at Clos du Roy, St Emilion

2:00 pm        Visit and tasting at Chateau Figeac, St Emilion.

4:00 pm       Visit and tasting at Chateau Angelus, St Emilion .

Saturday

Morning free to discover St Emilion and its multitude of boutiques.

3:45 pm       Transfer to the Bordeaux airport, Merignac

JP Hedge

The city of Bordeaux is buffed and polished as never before. When I first got to know it many years ago it was a dump, down at heel and dreary. But now, thanks largely to the efforts of the mayor – former French prime minister Alain Juppé – the capital of the wine world’s most celebrated region is gleaming from top to toe. Buildings have been cleaned and refurbished, new tramlines laid, streets pedestrianised, underground car parks built, the riverside re-cobbled and the night-time tarts moved on. There are swish new hotels, swanky haute couture shops, state-of-the-art wine bars, tasting rooms, bottle shops and an increasing number of Michelin-starred restaurants. Bordeaux is now vraiment chic and there is much to enjoy, although nothing is cheap and there are still several underwhelming, overpriced restaurants to catch out the unwary. And please note, if you fancy buying a few fine bottles to take home, they are likely to be costlier than in the UK. When I started in the trade Bordeaux was somewhere you went to for as short a time as possible, to do the deals and get out. Now it’s a real pleasure to visit and explore. It’s easy to get to, with regular flights from the UK and, if you need a further reason to go, how about the famous Fête le Vin coming up on June 24-27?

Here are some of my personal tips to help you plan a trip. If dialling from the UK, preface all numbers below with 00 33 and omit the first zero.

Where to taste/buy wine

Max Wine Gallery (05 5729 2381; maxbordeaux.com) A brand-new tasting room offering crus classés by the glass (2.5cl, 5cl and 7.5cl), thanks to several Enomatic dispensers. If you want to say you had a glass of Château Lafite or Château Mouton while in Bordeaux, this is the place to go – but it ain’t cheap.

Le Bar à Vin (05 5600 4347; baravin.bordeaux.com) A light, spacious wine bar attached to L’Ecole du Vin. Heavily subsidised by the CIVB (the Bordeaux producers’ association), it has a fascinating range of wines by the glass at disarmingly rock-bottom prices. Located 100 yards from the Grand Théâtre, it’s a great place to meet people.

L’Intendant Wine Shop (05 5648 0129) Take the lift to the top of L’Intendant’s tower and walk down the quirky corkscrew-shaped staircase lined with bottles from every region of Bordeaux. Almost every cru classé is represented here and the well-informed staff are happy to advise. There’s a greater range than you will find in Britain – but at greater prices.

Boozy places to eat

Le Bistrot du Gabriel (05 5630 0030; bistrot.bordeaux-gabriel.fr) In the Place de la Bourse, overlooking the quayside miroir d’eau, Le Bistrot is upstairs at Le Gabriel, basking in its first Michelin star. With dishes such as terrine of beef cheek, roast bone marrow on toast or chicken with fresh peas and lemon, the style is rustic French and delicious.

Au Bonheur du Palais (05 5694 3863; abdp.free.fr) Tucked away down a dreary backstreet and looking distinctly down-at-heel, this is said to be France’s finest Chinese restaurant. Don’t laugh; the food is astonishing and better than anything I’ve had in either China or Hong Kong. Delight in such dishes as stir-fried breast of pigeon or Chinese-style lampreys accompanied by some crisp Entre-deux-Mers or succulent Sauternes.

Café Opéra (05 5644 0700; jegher.fr/pages/opera.php) Set in part of the handsome Grand Théâtre, this boasts a simple but well executed menu, coupled with very well-priced claret. Try and grab a table outside and settle back to watch the world go by.

Where to stay

The Regent (05 5730 4444; theregentbordeaux.com) Right opposite the Grand Théâtre, this could hardly be more central. Jacques Garcia’s brothel-chic design might not appeal to all, but it’s the poshest place in town (and the priciest). The Regent’s fine-dining Le Pressoir d’Argent has just nabbed its first Michelin star and, if you can afford it, it’s a fine spot in which to sluice.

Hôtel de Normandie (05 5652 1680; hotel-de-normandie-bordeaux.com) Basic but central, this is where most members of the English wine trade stay when in town (if not at the even more humble Hôtel de Sèze). Rates start at £77 for a standard room and go up to £248 for “grand confort”, with breakfast an extra £12.

Le Vieux Biac (06 2306 1752; chateaubiac.com) Half an hour from Bordeaux, Le Vieux Biac is a restored farmhouse in the middle of the Château Biac vineyard in the Cadillac appellation. With stunning views of the River Garonne, it’s a sweet, secluded spot with three separate duplexes sleeping from two to 10.

Tours

Decanter Tours (06 0825 0054; decantertours.com) Texan Mary Dardenne has lived in Bordeaux for 15 years and knows her stuff. She has access to all manner of chateaux that might otherwise be off-limits and her jaunts are famously enjoyable.

La Journée Gourmande à Margaux (05 5600 6600; bordeaux-tourisme.com) This makes a fine day out from the city centre, a trip to four of Margaux’s best-known chateaux: Kirwan, Rauzan-Gassies, Tour de Bessan and Prieuré-Lichine. For £77 per person, you visit the chateaux, taste the wines and learn about winemaking. You also discover more about Margaux, its terroir and cultural heritage, before dining in some style with the owners.

jonathan.ray@telegraph.co.uk

To understand Burgundy one must learn how it is structured.  It is made up of patchwork of disorganized parcels of land owned by several different producers. Watch our posts over the next few weeks for a brief explanation of this illustrious region.

I will be sharing these contacts with you in order to make a superlative Burgundy visit for you at properties whose wines excel and who are not normally in the habit of receiving visitors. Watch this space and see our wine tours page (tours will be live in a couple of weeks) for ideas.

And feel free to comment on articles! (it helps with the ranking – thanks)

Others are for Le Gabriel in the lovely place de la Bourse with views of the riverside and le Pressoir d’Argent at the Regent Hotel Bordeaux.

And a surprise entry for La Table de Montesquieu in La Brède : new one-star Michelin.