Le Bordelais, une terre d’exception – Échappées belles

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Le Bordelais, une terre d’exception – Échappées belles 17 novembre 2018

Derrière les célèbres vins de Bordeaux, se cachent des hommes et des femmes qui, depuis plusieurs années, cherchent à réinventer le goût et à rajeunir l’image d’un des vins les plus célèbres de la planète. Jérôme Pitorin part sur les routes du Bordelais, découvrant Bordeaux, sa capitale, puis la Gironde, son fleuve. Depuis les airs, depuis la terre ou sur les eaux, le journaliste va à la rencontre des viticulteurs, des œnologues, des artistes et des chefs qui donnent à ce précieux nectar sa couleur et sa saveur extraordinaires.
Au sommaire :
– Les nouveaux pionniers de l’oenotourisme
– Le marathon du Médoc
– Les beautés architecturales des châteaux du Bordelais
– Bouteilles, étiquettes, bouchons, la folie des collectionneurs
– Les femmes du milieu viticole
– Le Bordelais au rythme des vendanges

These landscapes are truly magnificent. Hello everyone. I’m so happy to be back to share my trip to the most famous region in the world when it comes to wine and fine wines. I’m talking, of course, about Bordeaux and its vineyards. And this week, I wanted to rediscover this unique region through its wine tourism, without, of course, spending all my time tasting wines in the cellars of Pomerol, Margherita, or Saint-Émilion. Indeed, behind the red gold, this nectar so dear to Bacchus, there are men and women, passionate people who tell their stories through their villages, their châteaux, their traditions, all set against sumptuous landscapes and scenery, like the Gironde estuary or the Entre-Deux-Mers. So, how has this region managed to innovate and reinvent its tourist attractions around the vineyards? Well, to find out, I invite you to follow me on my Bordeaux journey, and all without moderation. Welcome to my beautiful getaways. Welcome to the Gironde. Welcome to Band. A beautiful getaway, 100% Grand Cru. I’m taking you about twenty minutes from Bordeaux to the heart of the vineyards, in a classified Grand Cru. We’re here with our whites, with our reds, so we get up every morning to make the best wine in the world. It’s an economic issue for an entire region. It’s important to know where the good wine will be next year. We have châteaux in all price ranges, starting around one million and going up to 50 million or even more. You can make the most beautiful wine in the world, but if it doesn’t sell, you’re at a dead end. But above all, it’s a culture that is passed down and evolves. Right in front of us, the magnificent structure of the Cité du Vin. I like to say it’s a beautiful wine cellar. It’s really become more feminine in the wine industry, and today you even find young women managing vineyards. Perhaps we have an extra touch of finesse, where we seek out flavors that are a little more supple, more pleasant, more elegant. A journey to the land of gold, red and white. It’s in the skin that the ethano, the color, and a large part of the aromatics reside, enough to make you dream. The feeling of arriving at Versailles is practically here. Yeah, right. Wow! It’s an almost religious atmosphere. And having fun. I’m also going to introduce you to the barrel rollers. We have quite a bit of sun, like two years ago. It’s really strong. We’re a little more inclined towards water than wine. Luc, I think it’s the right time. Okay. I have a surprise for you. A giant calet. Yeah. Enjoy your tasting, Jérôme. The grape harvest is a time when people who would never normally meet come together. Good with you. What I suggest is that we take things to a higher level right away. It’s absolutely breathtaking here, isn’t it, the vineyards, the little hillsides. The advantage of being in a hot air balloon is that you really realize the immensity of the Bordeaux vineyards. It’s true that it’s a very large vineyard with a protected designation of origin. It’s the largest vineyard in France with 100,000 hectares of vines. So it’s true that we’re in the middle of an ocean. Tell me, François, how did this passion for aerology begin? How long have you been flying balloons? I started flying at the age of 18 with hang gliders and paragliders. I did it for about ten years. I was a pilot for the LM (Lyon Métropole) and I took up gliding. Around the same time that I took up gliding, I saw hot air balloons and I thought, I have to go see how to fly one of those. You mean you weren’t originally a winemaker? My father was a winegrower. We took the wine to a cooperative, and about five or six years ago, I started my own small business and I make a little bit of wine. You were one of the first to offer tours of the vineyards, both up and down. My idea was that people who come to this region could discover a chef, discover a winemaker, someone who lives with wine, who makes wine. That’s it. That’s it. And there’s nothing to it. More exciting than showing off this beautiful wine region from a silent balcony. We’re going to try to reach a field a little further down, next to the sunflowers. You want us to go to a field after all? Absolutely. We’re going to go to a field. A field, I don’t know, a field more like a Corsican field, or just a field. Careful, as soon as we leave the vineyard, we’re going to go to the field further on. I’m going to try to pick a few bunches. I’ve got some grapes, we can start. It’s the season. Careful, there’s going to be a first impact, a second. Careful. Hold on tight. Okay, first impact. We’re staying in the basket. We’re not getting out. We’re staying in the basket. We’re still not getting out. We’re staying in the basket. Yeah. Yeah. Come on. Ah, it’s rock and roll. Whoa. There we go. There we go. Yeah, nice! Well done, François! With 4,300,000 visitors per year, the Bordeaux vineyard is now the most visited vineyard in France. Wine tourism has become a major economic sector for Bordeaux wines. For the past ten years or so, châteaux have been competing to attract tourists to their estates. For example, Château Reine Vigot offers horseback riding tours to explore its Sauternes vineyards. We’re quite well situated in the vineyard to understand what Reine Vigot’s vineyard is all about. Here, we see this kind of clay-gravel slope, a very rich soil that allows the vines to produce abundant flowers, resulting in a lot of aroma and sugar. It’s very interesting for us. The goal is really to shift the way we approach wine. You don’t have to come to a Premier Grand Cru Classé with your fine shoes and suit and tie. On the contrary, you can discover the vineyard in a tangible way. Here, on horseback, with the sound of hooves on the ground, you really experience this sensory aspect of the vineyard. It’s something that’s increasingly in demand. Visitors really want to go inside the vineyard, to discover what goes on there. To entice its visitors, the estate has devised an extraordinary experience. Tourists climb using a rope to reach a table suspended 11 meters above the ground. And this time, it’s the estate manager who leads the guests. The reward? A tasting of the estate’s wines in the air. We’re going to taste the Château de Rig Prier Grand Cru Classé. The only thing that’s not hanging up right now is this. So, Château de R Vigot 2009. The nose, I don’t know, it’s not the same, I don’t have the same nose as when I’m down below, actually. And is that because we’re in an open environment? Yes, absolutely. Tasting outdoors means the air is constantly renewed. So, we don’t have the saturation effect that we can experience in a room. We’re adding the view, actually. It’s more about the experience than the product. And I find that rather… well, it’s improbable, actually. To boost the image of these 20s, Vincent Labergère knew how to take risks. He had to convince the shareholders at the time of the merits and security of this activity, but it was really, really worth the effort to build and set all this up. How many people were involved? Are you still keeping track, Vincent? How many are we now? I’m still keeping track. We’ve passed 300 people. Okay. Tourists today want more than just a tasting. So, to meet increasingly demanding expectations, original concepts are multiplying, like tours in English taxis. There you go, not too hot behind. In addition to discovering the vineyards, tourists are learning about the aromas present in wine, even the most unexpected ones. But wine doesn’t necessarily only contain pleasant aromas. Sometimes there are aromas that are astonishing, surprising. I’ll give you the solution: toast. Toast. Antoine Becher offers bespoke tours for small groups for €450. Half a day. There’s a demand for something different. There’s a demand for tours that involve the client, the tourist, more. We think it’s great. First of all, it’s very panoramic, it’s very comfortable, you can actually see the landscape very, very well. So I’m quite surprised. We’re even very, very happy. To stand out, Antoine has focused on interactive workshops. Please. Mind your head. Hello. Today, his clients are going to learn how to create their own wine. They’ll have to measure and blend the three most commonly used grape varieties in the region: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. You have to taste very often. It’s fascinating; we didn’t imagine it because we’re used to tasting wines that are already made, and here we really separate them, you know, each of these pages, and we feel like creators. We see that very quickly, with these three pages, we can already know what we like, what we do n’t like, what percentages to increase or not. So it’s really interesting. Go for it. Oh, very good. At the end of the workshop, everyone will leave with the bottle they created and the feeling of having experienced a special moment. Creating unique experiences for her visitors is also what Sylven Fournier wanted to do to attract new customers. Four years ago, she opened two guest rooms in the middle of the vineyards of the family estate. Accommodations with unique architecture. It’s a large barrel cask. So it was made by a cooper from Charente. These are two concepts unique in the world. We’re the only ones who see this. It’s made like a real cask without glue, nails, or screws, just with hoops to hold the wooden dowels. It’s fantastic. It’s 20 square meters, and all the charm is in the high ceilings. Every year, wine tourism gains more and more followers, much to the delight of the châteaux, which, by opening their doors, have gained a new clientele. You see, Jérôme, this morning we were flying over there on the other side, opposite, in the Entre -Mer area. I really like the low-angled light on the vines that caress the upper part of the village of Saint-Émilion like that. It’s really beautiful, isn’t it? Yes, you have vines that extend right into the village of Saint-Émilion down below. So they built ramparts to protect the vines, I imagine. The ramparts were built in the 12th century under English rule. The English stayed in Akhitaine for 300 years. It ended with the Hundred Years’ War at Castillon- la-Bataille, with the death of General Talbau, where there’s still a monument. And the Porte Brunet, one of the last remaining gates of Saint-Émilion. There were six of them back then. You know everything? That’s wonderful. Come on, let’s take a closer look. It’s very charming. It’s just little alleyways. It’s a thousand. We’re greeted by the tall bell tower. This village is lovely. It’s magnificent. And you see, in Saint-Émilion, there are a lot of cobblestones. Yeah. Do you know where these cobblestones come from? No. From England. Okay. The ships arrived here, ballasted down in the hold with cobblestones, which they left at the port of Saint-Supplices de Falerinc. They unloaded the cobblestones and loaded the barrels of wine to return to England. Okay. There’s also an important religious heritage here because I see that’s the Cordeliers monastery. There were many monks and nuns who lived in Saint-Émilion. And the name of the village, I think it’s also linked to “moile” (a local term for a specific type of monk). Yes, he was a young man who left Vannes and dedicated his life to prayer. Okay. He lived as a hermit down in a cave. He is said to have performed some miracles, and the village, in gratitude, took his name. That’s why today it’s called Saint-Émilion. Saint-Émilion, this young Émilion. Here we are, arriving to see one of the jewels of the village of Saint-Émilion. It’s the monolithic church of Saint-Émilion, carved from a single block of stone in the heart of Saint-Émilion. It’s made of stone. Limestone, it’s hard stuff. Late 11th, early 12th century. Commissioned by a notable from Castillon who had the stone extracted and then sold it on the market. Oh, so he was digging at the same time, making a profit by reselling his stones. Absolutely. And why did this gentleman want to dig and build a church like this? He had gone on a crusade to Jerusalem where he saw churches of the same style carved into the rock, and he wanted to do the same thing here and perhaps leave traces of his name somewhere . Oh, but it’s immense. I was expecting a small chapel inside. No, no, it’s really big. And when you think they carved this over 50 years, in 50 years, they carved this church. Now, we’re going to head towards a festival. There we go. And we’re going there with Mélodyie in a tuk- tuk. There you go, let me introduce you to Mélody. How are you, François? Hello, Melody. Hello . Pleased to meet you. Pleased to meet you. I invite you aboard my carriage. Very well. Make yourself comfortable. Go ahead, dear princess. Watch your head getting in. Ah, this is going to be lovely. We’ll be able to see the properties and the castles on the way back. Exactly, that’s fantastic. Here we go. You, Melody, who takes dozens of tourists from the ends of the earth on your TCTouc every day . What surprises people the most when they come here? Well, I would say that when people arrive here, they are quite surprised by the charm of the city, surprised by its history too. A very old city that was discovered in the 8th century, and people are amazed. There are all the castles, there’s a spire pointing in the other direction with a cemetery. That’s for those who have overdone it. The brown building you see by the roadside with the golden bells. So this is Château Angélus. I don’t know if you can see the bells. Apparently, Château Angélus can ring the anthems of 150 countries with these bells. That explains the number of different nationalities who come here to visit regularly. We’re talking about a million. Wow! A million visitors every year. Oh, you should have told me to bring my swimsuit. I didn’t know you were taking me to the beach. No, Jérôme, I’m taking you to the first Saint-Surin-sur-l’Île festival, which brings together lots of traditional games and sports. Big festivities because I want there to be a stage, stalls everywhere. And I’m also going to show you the barrel rollers. What’s that? Barrel rolling is the way you have to move a barrel, and quite quickly. Okay. It’s a sport. What is it? There’s more than one association that does this. Okay. We have some kids who roll large barrels weighing 30-35 kg. The younger ones are happy with 15-20 kg barrels. So we have what we call the “caterpillar wheel.” And François, when you move your barrels, do you do it like this? I do it like this, but much slower. Look closely, ladies and gentlemen, we don’t have a drum, but some pretty extraordinary things are about to happen. Bravo! This sport is quite amazing. What exactly is it? Since barrels have existed, they’ve been rolled. Okay. So either by the winemaker, but long before that, by the person who makes them, the cooper. Okay. And in the old days, the dockworkers used to roll the barrels on the quays. Okay. Only when they were empty, of course; they rolled them like that. And we picked up the torch a bit in ’91, started the club in ’92, and since then we’ve been touring all over France and a little bit abroad. It’s great to keep this tradition going, which I ‘d never seen before. Hello, congratulations Ambreci! François and I were impressed watching you. How long have you been doing this? For four years now. And how long did it take you to turn that barrel? Not very long. Yeah. So you were good then? Yes, yes, yes. At least you’d be teaching me. Yes. Yeah, that’s true. Yes. Come on, Let’s go. Let’s push. Come on, in that direction. The left hand will reach there. Yeah. And so on. Like that. I’m rolling. I’m rolling well. Ah, great. Ah, the pro is behind. But because the barrel isn’t balanced. You have to find the balance point, as you say. Not too far forward, not too far back. For me, it’s heavy, I imagine. How do you do it? Show your muscles a little. Incredible. Roll, me. Oh my. Go on, show me how you do it. Well, frankly, well done. If there are Olympic Games, in my opinion, you’re going to win a medal, right? Maybe. Well, listen, I hope so. Bye Ambre. Thank you. Goodbye. A big thank you to you, François. After the ball in the air, I suggest we offer you a small glass of red wine to thank you. Yes, let’s go. Sounds good. Okay, keep going. It’s an institution. Since its creation in 1984, the Médoc Marathon has become a must-do event for marathon runners. Running the Médoc is like running London to New York. In short, the runners cross the estates of the Médoc’s finest wines. We’re not going for a record time. We have 6 hours and 30 minutes to finish. In previous years, we’ve finished in 5 hours and 6 hours and 30 minutes. It’s a bit crazy, but there are people all along the course, and every time we get encouragement and smiles, it keeps us going. Maximilien, Najib, Philippe, and their friends are participating in the marathon for the fourth time. This year again, they ‘re taking on a challenge. Maximilien and his group will have to run 42.195 kilometers while pushing their float, a carousel, because to participate in the Médoc, you have to be in costume. And this year’s theme is the funfair. The race is on! Canton Clown Unicorn sets off to conquer the vineyards of the Médoc. At the same time, 30 km away at Château Féanure, preparations are underway to welcome the marathon runners. The excitement is palpable. Dominique Larba is leading the sixty or so volunteers setting up the tasting tents. Thank you all for being here today at Château Féanure for the 34th edition of the Médoc Marathon. This year we’re at the 34th kilometer. We’re going to welcome 8,000 to 8,500 runners. We’re going because we have work to do in an hour; we need to be ready. Thank you. Every detail counts. We try throughout the year to welcome runners with the highest possible level of excellence, and we can’t deviate from that standard on marathon day. So yes, every detail counts. This year again, around twenty châteaux are opening their doors to the runners. So for the 8,500 participants, the temptations are numerous. It’s on this concept that the Médoc Marathon has built its reputation: that of a unique and festive race. It’s hot. At the 20km mark, we meet up with Maximilien and the Château Livrant team. They’re hard at work refilling their bottles. There’s quite a bit of sun here, just like two years ago. It’s really hot. We’re a bit more inclined towards water than wine. But there are still 22km to go. This is the part of the course that’s a bit more enjoyable because the beginning with the gravelly soil and lots of people isn’t easy, but we’re having a good laugh. We’re having a good laugh. At the same time, a few kilometers further on, at Château Fancéigure, the party is in full swing because we are, after all, on a peninsula here. So, we’re actually mostly in Saint-Estèphe, quite far from Bordeaux. We’re still 50 km north, and it actually contributes a lot to the local scene and to the fact that we’re supporting our region. We try to serve a vintage that suits the conditions because it’s hot, people have been running. So we always serve a vintage that’s very fruity, very light so that people here can enjoy it. As we approach the last few kilometers, the fatigue starts to set in. The heat is scorching, and at the oyster stand, we’re doing a roaring trade. White wine? Yes, white wine, you have some here. There you go, a little white wine to pair with the oysters that have been coming in from the sea since this morning. We ‘ve opened 18,000 of them. 18,000? Just for you. So go ahead, enjoy yourselves! It’s true that the oyster stand isn’t exactly legendary, but it’s the reward stand where oysters actually contain certain iodine elements, mineral salts, and they’re fresh. So there you have it. A little boost to finish the race. The first ones will cross the finish line in under 3 hours. Maximilien, Najib, and their team will finish their marathon in 5 hours and 56 minutes. Happy to have reached their goal, they’ll definitely be back next year. You’re in the middle of creating something. Bris, hello Jérôme, how are you? How are you? Very, very well. Well, I’m happy to meet you. But I’m also happy to be here. Yeah. And to discover the city at sunrise on the quests, in good conditions. Yeah, very good conditions. Then we’re going to go for a little walk on the water. Yeah, on the Garne. And we’re going to the Garonne. Your area of ​​expertise is photography in the broadest sense, of course, but mainly winemakers and their vineyards. Absolutely. Often with your feet in the vines. What a difficult job. It’s not unpleasant. Come on, let’s go. Sounds good. We’re going to have a great time. They’re forecasting a really beautiful day. Yeah, it should be good weather-wise and light-wise. Hi Captain. Thanks, pleased to be on your boat. Hi. All you see here is the historic Chartrons district, where the Bordeaux wine merchants’ offices used to be, and still are. There are many of these buildings that are old houses that have been renovated now. But historically, this is where the boats left from, loading barrels full of wine, of course , and then heading back upriver, mostly to England. And the city of Bordeaux developed mainly with wine. Oh, completely. It was, it was obviously a very, very important factor for the city. Yeah, it’s the Chavandelma Bridge. That’s the latest marvel of Bordeaux, which is a bridge. We hesitated for a long time before building this bridge because it blocked the pedestrians coming into the city center. Okay. And so they chose to build a bridge that lifts, you see, that goes up to 47 meters high. Ah yes, we can see the system. It’s like an elevator system. And there, what we can see is the Cité du Vin. Okay. It’s even more recent, 2016. I have to find some time to go and take a look. You can’t miss it, it’s a must-see. Now we’re coming to the Vanc fortifications and the Bla citadel. And what you really need to understand is that when Voban built the citadel of Bla, he built something like a real defensive line on the estuary. It’s a kind of lock that could completely control the passage. It’s very, very impressive. And so, you see, Jérôme, we can clearly see here the limestone strata that are characteristic of this right bank, which we find right here and then again in the vineyards further inland. And these soil types, the limestone and the gravel on the other side, mean that it creates different terroirs, and that even though the wine is produced in a very, very close area, these wines are also so different. Look, Jérôme, you see, there, we leave the Garonne and we arrive at the Dordogne. This is the confluence zone between the Dordogne and the Garonne. Ah yes, we can see. There are two branches. Yeah. And the Gironde estuary is created by the confluence of these two rivers, the Garon and the Dordogne, which meet here. Exactly. That’s what we call the eastern part of the Gironde. Scientists consider an estuary to be anywhere the effect of the tide is felt, and this water is so murky because it’s where all these different origins of the two rivers and the sea converge. Everything the Dordune carries, everything the Garonne carries, is trapped for at least 50 km by this tidal effect, and so it all ends up suspended. Yeah. That’s what created the islands. And one day, we won’t have an estuary anymore. We’ll have a delta like the island’s delta, and we’ll have lots of little arms like that to go up in the air. So what I suggest is that we make a little stopover on Patiras Island, okay, which offers a magnificent view of the archipelago. Okay. We have a great viewpoint here. Good evening. Hello Jérôme. Pleased to meet you. Hello Mariane. Hello Jérôme. Hello. So if you’d like, master of the house. So we’ll follow you. That’s right. Let’s go. Come on. So you both live here . Exactly. A little over 8 months a year. Oh yes, indeed. It’s still surprising to find yourself here, isn’t it? So a woman who becomes a lighthouse keeper. That’s because my boss defied a prohibition, a Napoleonic decree that required women not to be keepers. Okay. He defied it. I’m the boss. Well, you shouldn’t do that. That’s great. Yes, it’s true, I’d never met a lighthouse keeper before. What’s so special about living here? Time flows differently here, and that’s kind of our goal too. We try to get visitors to forget about time, to forget their watches and phones for a short stay on the island. What’s also amazing is the view from up there, and I think it’s worth going to see. Go up. There you go, you’re feeling good, huh? Did you follow that? Ah, what a view! Yeah, it’s worth it. A 360-degree panorama like that is very rare. And the variety of colors, look at that! Yes. So, this lighthouse, which now serves more of a tourist purpose, was a lighthouse that illuminated the sea until when? It operated for about a hundred years, until 1992. So it’s not very old. There was still light at the Patirassas lighthouse. You’re a resourceful image runner like that. You know, this region really inspires you, doesn’t it? Yes, it inspires me, and you have to take advantage of all these opportunities because, well, it’s quite unique to be here. And when you’re not from around here and you don’t have a background in wine, how do you make your mark? Anyway, I have a quote I really like from Joseph Kudenka who said that being a photographer means being accepted, and to be accepted, you have to give your time. You don’t create that connection by only taking photos during the harvest, when the weather is nice and everyone is happy and the grapes are beautiful, but by also coming to work hard in the winter when it’s very cold and everyone finds it very difficult, by being there too, accompanying these people in the vineyards and spending time with them. And that’s when they realize that, well, yes, you have a job that will tell their story and you live in the same conditions as them. So listen, I asked Guillaume to drop us off here because we have an appointment at a Margaot estate where I have to take photos, and I thought it would be fun if you could see this and that together, perhaps. A pleasure. Very good. Good idea. And here it is, this beautiful Carlet, it’s brand new. Which is quite rare because generally Carlets are rather, shall we say, in their original condition. Here are Nicolas and Alice. Nicolas, I ‘m Jérôme, hello. Hi Jérôme, nice to meet you. We were planning to take some photos today to showcase the brand new cabin. So, what’s the connection between this notebook and the property? We have quite a few friends visiting the property, and we explain our terroir to them because it’s the most important thing , and the terroir truly begins here. A few hundred meters further up, we encounter clay and then gravel, which was deposited by the river. So, we start here and continue all the way to the property. Nicolas, if you’re okay with it, I suggest we go take the photos in the vineyards, where you can taste the grapes, in particular. Before we go, we can position ourselves over there. This is a large property. How many hectares do you have? 75 hectares Here. There we are. And so, here we are in the heart of the historic vineyard, on the finest gravelly soils where we grow Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which creates the magical terroir of these great vineyards, especially Margaot here. Your grapes are ripe now, when are you going to sell them? In about a month. Speaking of the harvest, Nicolas, let’s take some pictures. So you taste them, you check the ripeness. Yeah. Uh, around here, it’s pretty good. We have the property behind. That gesture again, a little more, that’s good for me. Tasting the grapes is a daily occurrence at harvest time. It’s really the most important moment. The harvest date, which is determined by the ripeness of the grapes, is like when you cook your meat: if you like it rare and you leave it for 5 minutes longer, it’s ruined. So the selling date is critical. So this tasting of the grape berry is key because, you see, there’s the sugar content, obviously, which will determine the alcohol content; there’s the acidity, which is crucial for the life of the wine; and then there’s the phenolic ripeness, which is found in the skin. The juice itself isn’t really important, since the skin contains the acetaminophen, the color, and a large part of the aromatics. It’s amazing how technical this is! I’m so happy to have learned so much from you both today, all in just one day—it’s been very condensed. Two thousand years of history, intimately linked to wine, have shaped the landscapes of the Gironde. Castles, fortified towns, and Carthusian monasteries were built amidst the vineyards, making Bordeaux a region with an exceptional heritage. At Château Boutinet, or rather what remains of it, it’s the 18th-century ruins nestled within 23 hectares of vineyards, woods, and meadows that captivated Jérôme and Nathalie. They fell in love with these old stones and are enthusiastically sharing them with their friends. “Over here,” they explain, “we’ll probably take down the facade here so we can salvage the cornice stones and window frames to rebuild the main facade from there.” And what’s the timeframe for all this? “Well, on paper, we’ve set 2030. Actually, it depends on how many bottles you’re going to buy, how many pallets you want. You’ll need to bring some friends along.” We get it. There you have it. The couple bought not only the stone but also the land, because in the Gironde region, every self -respecting château must have its own vineyard. There have always been vineyards here, and in 1769, we find not so much a label as a first mention of the Boutiner estate, which produced 40 barrels of white wine. So, in fact, white wine was produced here. Jérôme and Nathalie now make organic red wine. In their own way, they’ve decided to write a page in the history of their region and have lots of projects in mind. We hope to have roughly one bedroom per window so we can accommodate a few people. Then, there will be a small lounge for dinners and meals, with a little reading nook at the base of the tower. The plans are already well underway. All that’s left is to finalize the financing. It’s our life’s project. I think it’s important in life to have projects. And I always say, at least we’re set for the next 40 years. That’s why we get up in the morning. Many people in the Gironde region are buying up vineyards, and for the past ten years or so, it’s been Chinese businessmen who are investing. 140 of the 7,000 vineyards in the Bordeaux region are owned by Chinese. Château Fauchet was sold in 2017 to a Chinese company by Karine Maxwell, a real estate agent specializing in the sale of vineyards. A year later, she revisited the property with Hugo Tian, ​​the current owner. “We’re looking at the possibility of removing this wall,” she said. “Yes, by creating a passageway to make a really large suite, a royal suite, and we’re also going to create a small room for the women, for… yes, for the bathroom and makeup.” So, we’ll see. Yeah, okay. We’re working on it to find a good compromise between a very deep, very French style, very rooted in tradition, with perhaps a few Chinese touches. That’s what we’re looking for. Becoming a Château owner is a sign of success sent to friends and business contacts. Especially since Bordeaux wines enjoy a prestigious reputation in China. We’ve done an initial estimate. It’s close to 3 million. 3 million? Yes. 3 million euros. That’s just for the restoration, right? Yes, because the castle also needs renovating. We have châteaux in all price ranges, starting around one million, uh, up to 50 million or more. There have always been foreigners in Bordeaux throughout the centuries—Irish, English, Dutch. Uh, so it’s always existed for hundreds of years, but the heritage remains here. It’s still French. It is deeply rooted in French history. It hasn’t been swept away and remains. Bordeaux’s heritage has stood the test of time. Today, it is more vibrant than ever. For several years, the châteaux have been engaged in a race towards modernity. They have had their buildings transformed into works of art by renowned architects. In 2013, the FA family, owners of Château La Dominique, embarked on the renovation of their estate located in the heart of the Saint-Émilion vineyards. They commissioned the architect Jean Nouvelle. This building is the vat room of Château La Dominique, and it is seamlessly integrated into the original 18th-century structure of Château La Dominique. Above, the red is a rather vivid, ruby ​​red, reminiscent of the color of very young wines fresh from the vines, and here in Bordeaux, it evokes the wines presented en primeur and the colors, the nuances of red. The closer you get to the ground, the more this red color takes on a more orange, almost brick-red hue, reminiscent of the color of a wine that is aging. The new Château La Dominique wine fits perfectly within the continuity of the history and landscapes of the Saint-Émilion vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The aim of this UNESCO designation was not to freeze Saint-Émilion and its jurisdiction in a particular era, such as the medieval period, but rather to demonstrate how viticulture has shaped this landscape. UNESCO’s goal is to show that this landscape is dynamic, vibrant, and forward-looking. Over the centuries, the work of the winemakers has left a profound mark on Bordeaux, a testament to a heritage that remains very much alive today. Which ingredient is necessary for making the famous canelé bordelet but unnecessary for winemaking? Egg white, egg yolk, yeast, or pepper? Egg yolk. And that’s a good answer since in winemaking, only egg white is used for what’s called fining. There you go. Very good answer. Hello and hello. Singing. Jérôme. What were you doing? Were you chatting? About wine? Yes, actually, we’re testing a quiz we’ve set up on a mobile wine app before it’s released to the public . I imagine it’s for decoration because it’s a bit early. Yeah, a little early. Yeah, can I sit with you? Of course. Take a chair, make yourself comfortable. So the website is tout.com. It’s actually an informational website about wine, and the quiz is there to test our users’ knowledge a little. Okay. And is it only about Bordeaux wines, or is it about all wines from around the world ? It’s about all wines from around the world. So we’ve developed four. One is specific to Bordeaux, the one we were testing. We have one on Burgundy, One on wines of the world and one on the world of wine in general. And we actually develop them regularly. So that means it’s a real sect of women who are interested in wine and are connoisseurs. It’s great. I think it’s wonderful, anyway. But yes, in a world that has historically been very masculine, let’s say, it’s important to add a little touch of femininity. And Jérôme, well, I suggest we visit our beautiful city. Okay. Great! Thanks, girls! See you next week. Good luck, anyway. Have a good day. So now we’re going to go under the Dijo Gate. Dijo? Yes. How do you spell that? DIJEAU X. Nothing to do with the digestif, right? No, nothing to do with it. There are still many gates like this one. There are six left. And that’s what actually marked the boundaries of the old city of Bordeaux. You know the city of Bordeaux well, but I don’t recognize the local accent . Where are you from, Charlotte? I’m a little further up the ladder. I’m from Charente, I’ve been in Bordeaux for 14 years, and I’ve met quite a few winegrowers on family estates, which made me want to do things for them . So I set up my own website, Charlotte’s Itineraries, and then all my professional experiences were in the wine industry, which is really great. Quite a career path, then. Self-taught, but kind of immersed in it, actually. Completely. Hello. Hello, ladies and gentlemen. What can I do for you? Well, I’d like to take six canelets, please. Okay. It’s really an iconic pastry. Yes, really. Hello. How are you? Are you well? I’m fine, and you? Perfect. I’d like you to meet Jérôme. Hello, Grand Master. So, that’s just how we should address you, ex. So, everyone has their own little version of the canelé story, some more far-fetched than others. Me, I want the official version. The most likely version is that the nuns of the Annonciate convent in Bordeaux made little cakes for the needy. And so, the raw materials were harvested from the vineyards of Bordeaux. Thanks to the triangular trade, they had exotic products, notably rosehips and vanilla. Yeah. And with that, they made the famous canelé, which has a real connection to Bordeaux wines since, in fact, the canelé recipe calls for egg yolks, and in wine, we use egg whites. When you produce wine, all the little impurities settle in the egg whites, allowing the wine to have that clear, sediment-free quality. Okay. There you go. And so, naturally , the winemakers had a lot of egg yolks and they didn’t necessarily know what to do with them. So the nuns would take it back and an operation for the nuns. Exactly. Yeah. Okay Luc, I think it’s time. Okay. I have a little surprise for you. Don’t move. A giant canelet. Yeah. No. What is it? I’m not going to tell you anything. Or there, the whole room. Ah yes, it’s a crowd. Hello gentlemen, pleased to meet you. Pleased to meet you. Pleased to meet you. I see the smiles. Everyone is happy with the little surprise. OK, that’s fine, let’s go. The creation of the Confrérie du Canelé de Bordeaux in 1985 represents a historic and blessed legacy for the profession. There is no good wine but that from our hillsides. There is no good cake but the canelet of Bordeaux. Okay. Thank you. Jérôme, you have just tasted the canelet of Bordeaux. Is it good? I have to say yes, it is. It’s very, very good. From this day forward, do you promise to speak about it and defend it in all circumstances, to spread its fame? Oh, I have obligations, I promise. For what? Your answers satisfied, I hereby name you , Grand Master, a member of the Confrérie du Canel de Bordeaux. Yeah, it’s very serious, you know. Jérôme, I present you with the diploma of the Confrérie des Cadmé. Thank you very much. I am honored. Very honest. Look, Jérôme, right in front of us, the magnificent structure of the Cité du Vin. I’ve been told it looks a bit like a decanter. Is that the concept? Yeah. So, Everyone has their own interpretation. Personally, I tend to agree. I like to think of it as a beautiful 20-inch decanter. So, I’ll introduce you to Elodie. Okay. She’s one of the wine cellar attendants at the Cité du Vin. OK. Hello Elodie. Hi Charlotte. How are you? Yes, very well. And you? Perfect. I’d like you to meet Jérôme. Great. Hello. Pleased to meet you. What’s great about Charlotte is that everyone around her who loves wine is a woman. Ah, well, that’s what makes it so rare and quite pleasant for me. We’re truly a unique cultural institution in the world because we’re dedicated to wine as a cultural, universal, and living heritage. And the idea is really to discover wines, not just from Bordeaux. We’re really the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, but not the Cité du Vin of Bordeaux. And you’ll discover wines from all over the world. Okay. And not too long ago, we actually passed the million-visitor mark. So, we’re really happy after just two years now. There you go, more than two years since we opened. I imagine you’ve had plenty to celebrate. Absolutely. Exactly. Oh! So here, there are interactive tables. Absolutely. This is the Terroirs Table. So here, we discover really different panoramas, different terroirs from all over the world with a direct interaction with a winemaker. So if I run my hand over here, I’ll talk to Juan Carlos Rodriguez de la C, and he’ll tell us about his vineyard. So this is really my favorite part. Is it? Yeah, it’s a real olfactory journey, actually, with a presentation that I find incredible. I’m testing it, I’m pressing the little bulb. Yeah. Coffee. Indeed, these are aromas that we inevitably find in the tasting of… Absolutely. Actually, it’s true that here, we want to recreate a bit of what we experience in a wine tasting. We’re also appealing to our emotions, to our olfactory memory. So, it’s really a bit of a sensory journey. Yeah, it’s more lemon zest. Here, we really want to highlight the different aromas we can get from fresh fruit. I can get a rush from experiencing a series of different scents like that. It’s a bit intoxicating without the alcohol in the wine. But in any case, it should appeal to children because it’s really fun and playful. It’s true that it speaks volumes. And here we come to the Belv with a selection of wines from around the world and the French wine section. Thank you. Thank you very much. It’s very clear. It’s a young wine. Not a sweet wine, as they say, or anything like that. Betrus, Cheval Blanc, Mouton Rothschild— these evocative names have made Bordeaux famous worldwide. Behind these prestigious appellations lies a highly efficient sales system. Welcome to the inner workings of Bordeaux’s great wines. In Bordeaux, behind the facades of the buildings, wine is sold. Brokers have real-time access to Bordeaux wine prices. A supplier sent me a file containing several lots of wine. I selected this particular lot from Fed Rotfield. It’s 240 bottles of the 2015 vintage, priced at €515 per bottle. Two years ago, the wine was trading at around €420, and currently, transactions can reach up to €543. So, €515 is a good price. I have a nice lot of FIT 15 here. Do you still have some in stock? I think this is a very, very good deal for you. In the brokerage firm, the bishop is a partner; the brokers specialize in classified growths. Hugo, that’s good, you were able to finalize the transaction. Yes, that’s good. I sold the La Fit. There you go. The La Fit 15. Yes. 24. We’re often called the notaries of the vineyard. But the vineyard notary is because we’re close to both the merchants and the owners, and we play a moderating role in this market. The producer seeks to increase the value, which is perfectly normal, to maximize his harvest. The wine merchant is keen to maintain margins to keep his business running. The châteaux of Saint-Émilion have always relied on the services of brokers. François Lévêque regularly visits the vineyards. For him, it’s important to have a thorough knowledge of the wines he promotes. We’re in vineyards that are treated organically, which explains the grass and so on. There are no pesticides, so it’s also nice to go there in person because some terroirs respond better than others, and it’s important to know where the good wine will be next year, or even the very, very good wine next year. Among his clients, François Lévêque counts one of the greatest wines of Saint-Émilion, Château Zone. I went to New York for almost a year to work for an importer, and one day my father, who was a broker, asked me to come back and work with him. I accepted, but I didn’t want to do the same thing as him. Well, I wanted to specialize in fine wines because, even back in the early 80s, we were seeing a lot of wines coming onto the market from Australia, Argentina, and Chile—wines that were well-made and, above all, made at a lower cost. So it became very difficult for Bordeaux and its region to compete. Thanks to brokers and négociants, the great Bordeaux wines built a solid reputation worldwide. A reputation they strive to maintain at all costs, especially with wine critics, because these critics have the power to influence the sale of vintages. Château Angéus, another Premier Grand Cru in Saint-Émilion, regularly hosts Bernard Birchy, a wine critic. Wine critics are influencers. A critic writes for an audience whose tastes they imagine, and so they influence the market because producers will follow that path to make wines that sell. Because no matter how well you make the wine, the most beautiful wine in the world, if it doesn’t sell, you’re at a dead end. And to sell wine, you also have to know how to present it. The label has always fulfilled this role. It’s the showcase for Bordeaux wines. The first form of communication is the label. Truly, it’s the foundation of everything. It’s the identity card. It’s the business card of the estate. In their studio, Stéphanie and Sophie Javel create or restore labels. Labels that tell a story. It’s always different, depending on the personality of the owner, the personality of the place, the entire history of that place with all the people who have passed through over time. However, there’s no question of revolutionizing the form of Bordeaux wine labels. In Bordeaux wine labels, there are truly codes that we understand well. Whether engraved or not. The lettering, the layout of the label, the white spaces that flow are truly typical of Bordeaux wines. We have a real strength and class in Bordeaux labels that is, let’s say, enviable worldwide. We get copied; we’re now working for China since we have quite a few Chinese owners, and they really want it to look impressive. To highlight the precision of her work, Stéphanie uses a printer who employs an age-old technique: intaglio printing. This engraving process makes the label unique and prestigious. It doesn’t look bad at all. Printing is indeed a key moment because it’s the birth of the product, the birth of the label. So it’s essential. It’s truly the culmination of the creation thanks to printing. For Stéphanie, this is a crucial moment, especially since today she is accompanied by her client, the owner of Château Bellorme, who has come to approve the proof. There’s a message in this label that should hint at the type of wine, the type of wine we’re aiming for. You were talking about tradition, In addition, we work as a family. All these values ​​are on this label. There you go. And it’s up to us to bring them into this world, both historical and contemporary. Thanks to their operation and their history, Bordeaux wines have managed to convey an image of luxury products. Bordeaux has become a label that makes people dream around the world and, above all, that sells. Oh. Hello. Hello. Hello. You have an incredible establishment, don’t you? I love the concept. What was it? Was it a building here before? It was an apartment building with a ground floor. It was a tobacconist in Bordeaux, and we gutted the entire center of the tower to create the staircase. So you have 1,200 lockers, that’s about 15,000 bottles. So, only Bordeaux wines. Okay. I saw some Petrus there, €6,000, and there, €7,002, among the great Bordeaux wines, indeed, very rare wines from exceptional terroirs. I imagine you have some very affordable wines. Our daily work is to recommend wines between €8 and €20, €30, €40. Yeah. Yeah. So I came looking for a white wine for a change. You have white Bordeaux wines, sweet wines, and dry white wines. So dry for me, rather dry. So the classics are the Paissaclé and Onion wines, the Graves. Okay. And then there are more and more estates making white wines in the Souvignon Blanc range, rather drier, more aromatic, like Chasspelline Blanc, which is quite rare. There you go, that will go well with lots of seafood, with fish. OK. Well, since the idea for me is to discover something new, I trust you. Let’s go for that. Sounds good. Let’s go. Hey , hello Adrien. Hello. How are you? I’m fine, and you? Okay. Adrien has a brilliant concept. You go to his place, you choose the wine, and he creates a menu to complement it. So it’s kind of like a reverse pairing. I’ll pay you. That’ll be €23, please. Sir explained what you were doing. So, the wine you just bought is for a recipe. Yeah, that’s right. One last test. We already know where we’re going, but we just have one more, basically a confirmation test. We’re going to try one last thing. Yeah. Yes, absolutely. I’m going to do my shopping after this. If you want to come with me, we can. I’m really keen to join you. No, it’s true, I can come with you. We always need an outside opinion, so that works out well. Okay, great. For my little test, my little recipe, which is still a bit of a trial run, I need a fairly plump, quite oyster-like oyster. I think that number 3 is the kind of product that pretty much meets everything I’m looking for. So, have you already tested your recipe or not yet? No, I start with combinations I like, but we’re kind of taking risks and cooking a bit… well, you know. Okay. Daring. Thank you, sir. Have a good day. I’ll see you again. Goodbye, gentlemen. Thank you. Goodbye. We’ve arrived at Place de la Bourse. An iconic square in Bordeaux. Yeah. The picture-postcard scene with the fountain and the reflecting pool. It makes for a nice sequence. We’ve arrived at the restaurant Les Tables Vel, caterer of King Lou 14. This caterer has been a pioneer in so many things in our profession that it’s essential to know their story. Hello Didier, tell me, do you know where Julien is? The terrace. Sam’s back, I know why he’s here. There he is, having his picture taken . How are you, Julien? Hello, Chef. Hello. Hello Julien, my sommelier, pleased to meet you, and Mika the caricaturist. Hello Mr. Caricatures, who paints with wine. So, he paints with wine. I mean, here in Bordeaux, we have more wine than ink. It’s funny. So there you have it. Oh yes, you… Oh yes, okay. Really with wine. Of course, of course, of course. Ah, that’s original. Hey , I’m going to interrupt you for 30 seconds. I have a bit of work waiting for me. Yes, I I’ll let you continue the caricature, see you in a bit. Yeah. Yeah, it’s not bad, Julien. No worries. So, this concept, it’s very original to do things backwards. Ultimately, the idea is to disregard what we’re going to eat for a little while and just concentrate a little on the wine to really try to guide the tasting according to the wine we’d like to drink. Three glasses for the dish and we choose these three wines from among those three each time. So it’s for both wine lovers and those who like a surprise. Exactly. That’s it. I’m ready. I’m ready. Attention! 1 2 t Oh well, actually, it’s very good to show the chef, to see what he thinks. Oh well, I hope he’ll be happy. Oh, I’m glad I went and bought a bottle of wine today. We’ll end up in a kitchen like this, it’s cool. So, this is the wine you selected. Exactly. The chef told me the general outline of his dish. So, the chef’s idea was to bring a touch of acidity to the wine with a lovely freshness. It really has citrus notes, a mineral quality to echo the oyster, and this freshness to contrast with the sheep’s cheese. We’re using a seafood entree from André Lurton, Château Bonnet 2017. It has the acidity of lemon and spice. Then there’s the cucumber that comes through, and finally, the creamy goat’s cheese at the end. Yes, it’s fantastic. I’m so happy that chance led me to have this kind of experience. Thank you so much. It’s very touching. Thank you. Congratulations on the great idea and for showcasing the local products, whether it’s the wine or the various ingredients we have here. Thank you very much. That’s great, or rather, well done. Long reserved for men, the wine industry is becoming increasingly feminized. In Bordeaux, 28% of wine estates are run by women. At Château Soutard, the owners have placed their trust in a woman, Véronique Corporandi. She holds the reins. With her vineyard manager, she tests the fermentation of the grape juice daily. It’s aniseed, the aniseed plot where the color isn’t yet extremely dense. You can smell a bit of toasting from the wooden vat. Véronique was born in Bordeaux. The world of wine holds few secrets for her. “I grew up among the vines and followed my father, who worked in wine and who always taught me to taste and to be interested in this world.” Véronique has been responsible for the winemaking at Château Soutard for 12 years . A successful career that might never have begun. The first time I went into a winery for one of my first internships, a few years ago, people told me, “We used to tell the owner, ‘Are you crazy? She’ll spoil the wine!’ It’s like mayonnaise—a woman can spoil mayonnaise. So, it was pretty much the same thing. And well, it’s like anything else, when you show you can do it, all those myths disappear. Here in Saint-Émilie, there are quite a few of us in the Médoc too. It’s really become more feminized in the wine industry, and today you even find young women managing vineyards. Wine is now a feminine endeavor. Like Valérie Labrousse, owner of her father’s château, who makes her own wine. After a career in spirits, she decided to return to the land and take over from her mother. So, there you have it, I can introduce you to the ancestors, the grandparents, great-grandparents, and here a little further on, that was my mother’s generation, her mother is over there, and the last frame was actually our great-great-grandfather who bought the property here. For five generations, we’ve only had women at the head of this estate. So it’s very rare. We’re very proud of it. During the war, women brought so much energy to these vineyards to help them resist, and despite the many years of war—five years of war, in fact—the women were all there, they always worked in the vineyards anyway. But there was no choice here. It was still a miserable time, you know. The countryside is 30 km away from Bordeaux, not so far now, but it used to be. But this story of women is also something Valérie carries within her, and she loves to share it with the visitors she welcomes to the family estate. And today, she’s giving a 100% male group a lesson in female winemaking. Here’s the gem. This is our top-of-the-range estate wine, 100% Merlot, made from our oldest vine, which is 60 years old on the property, and for a year and a half this wine is aged exclusively in new barrels. There you have it. And the gem is a product that speaks to women, you know. It’s my jewel. I think that as women, we perhaps have an added finesse, a tendency to seek out flavors that are a little more supple, more pleasant, more elegant. Women have become a target audience for wine producers. Since the 1970s, women have been drinking wine and, above all, embracing it, even championing it. They now account for 78% of wine purchases in supermarkets. And in Bordeaux restaurants, they’re playing the femininity card. Oh, there’s a minerality that emanates from it. Then it breathes and then it develops. It’s magnificent. It’s a wine in its first year; it’s closed. You really have to wait for the 2 or 3 years after. Cyel Palacio is a young sommelier. A year ago, the chef of the Cheedan restaurant gave her free rein to create his wine list. For her, being a man or a woman makes no difference, except perhaps in one instance. A woman who wears lipstick will perceive the tannins slightly less than a man because the tannins will cling directly to the lipstick. That’s why I don’t have any lipstick in my tastings. And it’s true, I’ve tested it, and indeed, the texture of the wine is completely different . So, perhaps that’s the reason. Yes, if men don’t wear lipstick, then there will be a slight difference. But otherwise, no. And I don’t want to think for a single moment that a woman can be better at tasting, or that a man can be better at tasting. It’s all about background, sensitivity, and sensory memory, as well as how we were introduced to wine. At Dan’s, they serve Franco-Asian cuisine. A challenge for Cyriel, who has to pair his wines with the chef’s menu and win over his guests. I’d be delighted to introduce you to Loïmae’s Sabléchiste, a 100% Chenin Blanc, organically grown in 2016. It’s quite full-bodied, with lovely minerality. It finishes delicately with a slightly honeyed, slightly floral note, so it’s not too rich or overpowering, perfect for an aperitif. It could be lovely. Very good. These days in Bordeaux, it’s true that there’s a wave of female sommeliers emerging. I have a lot of female colleagues. So it’s gradually becoming more mainstream. More and more of us are making our way, and I think that people who go to restaurants are so used to seeing women holding a bottle of wine and opening one. Little by little, stereotypes are falling away and labels are changing. Women love wine, mostly red, and they’re no longer afraid to say so. It’s certain, winemakers will have to reckon with women in the future. It’s the big day, I was going to say, since we’re going to harvest. Exactly. I’m taking you about twenty minutes from Bordeaux, to the heart of the PAC (Priority Agricultural Production) region, to a Grand Cru Classé estate, since we’re going to Château Smith Lafit. Yes, okay. Which you might know by name. Absolutely. Yes, very renowned, of course. And I chose this property because, for me, it truly represents the best in terms of nutrition. Which goes to show, You don’t need to go far to find truly extraordinary things. It’s practically right here. Yeah, right. They also work the vineyards with horses. Yeah, that’s one of the estate’s unique features. Ah, it’s definitely more pleasant to see horses than tractors. That’s for sure. And it contrasts sharply with the helicopter opposite; it’s a completely different context. Yeah, it’s because here we’re very, very close to the Codali springs. Okay. I’ve heard of them, of course. Yes. There you go. A rather high-end establishment. So, the château benefits from a clientele, some of whom arrive by helicopter. Okay. Ah yes, indeed. Yes, it’s funny how these accommodations are part of the spa. Yes, exactly. So, there’s the accommodation section and the spa section. Basically, about twenty years ago, they did tests on everything that wasn’t actually used for the grapes after winemaking, that is, the by-products. Exactly. All the residues. And they realized that it actually had benefits for cosmetics, so they created a cosmetics brand based on that, and then they opened this spa. Okay, it’s a magnificent place, isn’t it? So, I’m going to take you to see Jean-Luc, who’s an important person here because he’s the one who makes the barrels, and so this is one of the only properties in Bordeaux to have its own cooper and create its barrels right here on the estate. There you go, Jérôme, I’d like you to meet Jean-Luc. Hello. The owner. Pleased to meet you, Jean-Luc. So, the cooper of the estate. Exactly. That’s right. Charlotte was explaining to me that it’s very rare to have a resident cooper on an estate. Yes, yes, yes, there are only two or three châteaux that have their own barrels. So it’s a bit of a luxury, isn’t it? It has a very sensual side. Yes. Yes. The chain is beautiful, isn’t it? It’s true that it always remains very… So tell me, Jean-Luc, what makes a good barrel? It’s true that it’s the toasting, because it’s really the wine that will be in contact with the inside. So the toasting is really what makes a good barrel. Then we’ll toast it differently depending on whether it’s for a red wine or a white wine. What you call “toasting,” that is to say, the ability to color. There you go, we’re going to toast it, actually. So for reds, we’re going to look for a much more toasty toast. So that will bring notes of cocoa, toasted almonds. And then for white, it’s much softer and it will be more vanilla notes. So , how much would it cost if I bought a barrel you make? What’s the cost price? Well, on average, it’s between €600 and €800 for a barrel. Wow! A barrel. There you go. There you go. And so, with the house jump, I imagine its value increases tenfold. There you go. Obviously. And you make them here too. There you go. Yeah. Well, I think the… I don’t know, it must be… Yeah, it’s red there. We can do it. Oh, no problem, we’ll make one. Here, let me see your arm. There you go. Marked for life there. What an idea! There you go, marked for life. That’s the house jump. There’s the fit. There you go. It’s prettier like that. Incredible, really. Yeah, it’s beautiful. Hello, and well, madam, pleased to welcome you to Smit. Hello. Well, I’m delighted to meet you, and I was just telling Charlotte that I found the property absolutely incredible architecturally. Completely atypical. Almost. It is a bit atypical. It looks more like a bastide than a 19th-century château. But if you’d like to see, I invite you to go up one of the towers. Okay. Get a bird’s-eye view. There you go. Come on, let’s go up the towers. Come on then. Wow, it’s lovely. Wow! There you go. So, here we can see that we’re surrounded by vines on all sides. There are very few classified growths like this that are all in one piece. And We’re proud of it. George Smith came here in the 18th century, he used the farmhouse you see over there as a model. You’ll be sleeping here tonight. At your place. Okay. Great for creating a wing that’s much more elegant, an 18th-century Chartreuse. It feels like being in a village, actually, with all the buildings, that’s exactly it. This estate, this property, how long have they been making wine here? For 652 years. It’s incredible. And this is our 28th harvest. So we’re the keepers of the tradition. Yeah, that’s it. What ‘s your background? How did you come to make wine here? I met my husband when I was 15 on the French national ski team. Skiing. Are you a competitive skier? At that level, we were the only students, and in fact, we grew up together. And now we’re here with our white wines and our red wines, so we get up every morning to make the best wine in the world. How many works do you have here on the estate? Well, we’ve been here for 28 years, so that makes 28 works. Okay. Some are very small because the harvest wasn’t bountiful. So, there’s still a bit of everything, works of art, and sometimes they’re large, and it’s true that this Venus is quite imposing. So what’s the story behind this work? Well, the story of this work is that it was supposed to be much smaller and less patinated, less tortured. And Jim Line, who is a great American artist, took the last plane to New York the day before the terrible day of the towers of September 11th. It comes from the great Ziro, it ‘s all black at the bottom. It’s a bit like the beauty of Venus versus the cruelty of men. I’ll leave you here for today. I’ll see you tomorrow in full gear. Exactly. For the grape harvest first thing in the morning. Well, see you tomorrow then. Bye Charlotte, see you tomorrow. Enjoy tomorrow. In the village of Saint-Émilion, the air is thick with the sound of bagpipes. They’re celebrating the start of the grape harvest. A tradition that has lasted for 820 years. The Saint-Émilion wine brotherhood was established in 1199 by King John of England. He delegated the management of the town to notables and magistrates, the juras. They were the ones who decided when the harvest would begin. The proclamation of the harvest was truly the official authorization to start the harvest. This was changed a little in 2008, since we now have the possibility of starting the harvest earlier in our vineyards. And there you have it. Pierre Mirand is the master of ceremonies for the Jurade. A local and a winemaker, he is proud to participate in the proclamation of the harvest. It’s called the hill at the Château MC. It’s no coincidence; there are over 800 producers in Saint-Émilion with different terroirs, some starting the harvest tomorrow morning, others waiting eight days, and still others daring to wait a little longer, perhaps hoping for a better yield. It’s a perpetual cycle, a constant challenge every year, because every year we reap the rewards of a year’s work. “Arise, harvesters!” The Jurade proclaims the start of the harvest. Saint-Émilion, hallelujah! Saint-Émilion, hallelujah! The announcement of the harvest’s launch resonates throughout the Saint-Émilion vineyards, all the way to Château La Dominique. Gwendeline Lucas is the estate’s general manager. She’s making the rounds of the plots to check the harvesters’ work. Especially girls, be careful not to pick bunches where there aren’t any ripe or unattractive grapes. No leaves, because you can’t make good wine with leaves. No wind at all, either. And otherwise, keep going like that. And now, a porter will arrive to empty the baskets. We have sugar, we have substance, we have very aromatic grapes, and now we’ve reached the crucial moment to harvest all these bunches. The quality of the wine we’ll produce depends entirely on the timing of the harvest. Each plot, because each plot will develop differently. We tasted this one a few days ago. We wondered if it would be ready to be harvested today. Indeed, it was time to pick it. At La Dominique, the grapes are sorted four times after being picked. A demanding sorting process that allows us to select the finest fruit and obtain a Grand Cru Classé. Here, we have the very best. Look how fantastic this cellar floor is. It’s a work of art. We’re happy, and the whole team is happy to see that the work has paid off, and that we’re going to have a beautiful harvest. A few kilometers from La Dominique, at Château Gombo de Guillot, the harvest is coming to an end. Olivier Tcher took over the 7 hectares of the family vineyard in 2010, right in the heart of Pomerol. He and his daughter are reviewing the harvest. And here are some big ones! And the winds have already blown through. So yeah, they took everything. Yes, they took everything. The first harvest, actually, brought back all the smells of my childhood and adolescence, and I wanted to do this. Well, since then I’ve been trying to make wine and to be dedicated. No, I don’t regret my career choice. No, no, it’s something exciting and very fulfilling. I meet lots of people from all walks of life, and it’s great. For Olivier’s father, who came to encourage his son for the occasion, the harvest is a crucial moment. You’re putting your life on the line right there in the moment, the moment you’re doing it. Then, you have to manage a team of 30 or 40 people and make sure it’s enjoyable, that it’s a good atmosphere, with respect for everyone, joking around, and so on. Well, it’s a lot, isn’t it? It’s really very much. The day ends. Olivier is off to meet up with his friends and family who are waiting for him to celebrate the end of the harvest. Thank you all for coming. So, we’re going to celebrate the end of the 2018 harvest with a magnum of 2003. Harvests are a time when people who would never normally meet come together. We ‘ve had tables with Roma, with Chinese people, with students, sometimes with high-ranking officials, all mixed together, and during the harvest, well, everyone mingles, talks, and exchanges ideas, and that’s a very special time, something magical about it. This year, the harvest went very well. The future Bordeaux vintages are looking promising. Hello everyone. Hello. Today, we’re going to harvest, so it’s Sauvin. There are two sections on this plot. One section is ripe and ready to harvest. So this is the upper part, that’s what we’ll harvest first. We’ll harvest the lower part a little later. Let’s go. Show me. Yeah, I’d like a more detailed briefing, okay? Otherwise, I’ll ask you for help. Yes, we’ll join them. We’ll join them. There are quite a few people here, I must say. Yeah, it’s nice to see the heads sticking out. It’s empty. We’re cutting all the grapes. Okay. As close to the first berry as possible. As close to the first berry as possible. That’s it. I have some leftovers. That’s fine. Let’s check it carefully. It’s not very pretty, but it wo n’t affect the taste of the grapes when they get to the vats. Okay, let’s get to work. So how do we divide up? Because if I go in front, he’ll test it. You’re going to watch me. So you start here, next. OK. Come on, I’ll get my sled. I’m bringing my sled with me. And Charlotte, have you ever had the chance to harvest grapes in the region? I’ve done it in Saerne, it was really interesting, and I’ve done it elsewhere in France too. Just last weekend , I was in the Costières de Nîmes vineyards, so I harvested some Sira grapes. And the first time I did the harvest, I found it quite difficult. I much preferred the glass of wine I tasted afterward. But it’s true that it’s a Handling work that’s quite physical. You can’t have back problems, that’s for sure. Okay, how’s it going? Listen, pretty well. I think the grapes are very, very beautiful. What’s this, Nicolas? Well, these are pheromone capsules. It’s a mating disruption technique to prevent the moths from laying their eggs on the grapes. The larvae bore into the grapes. So, we encourage them to go, uh, do their business elsewhere. So yes. So, I have a carrier. A carrier. There you go. And that’s about 7 kg. That’s not too heavy, Jean-Pierre. There you go. So Jean-Pierre can carry 21 kg. We can sit on the crate, or Jean-Pierre can go to the other plot. So, that’s 20 kg at once, right? Here, taste this. Look at the color, how beautiful it is. Yeah, it’s too beautiful. And it’s much sweeter than the… Well, yes, it’s less acidic, I think. Oh yeah. The superb wine from Château Smith Fit. It’s pretty, isn’t it? Yeah. Wow! It’s an almost religious atmosphere. And yes, the wine ages religiously here. I have the feeling we’ve been waiting for it. Hello Jérôme. Hello. Hello Charlotte. Welcome to the Smith Fit cellars. So we’re going to move on to phase 2 of your visit now: the tasting. So here we have a Merlot. And so what we’re going to taste, to understand it better, is one of the grape types , a grape variety that has aged in this barrel, but it’s not the final wine, which will be a blend of several grape varieties. Exactly. We age the wines separately , by grape variety, soil type, and vine age. After 18 months of separate aging, we do a tasting, and this tasting reveals the complete blend of the wine, that is, it defines the complexity of the blend. So, we can smell it here. The nose is a little smoky, toasty, and already has red fruit notes. You ‘re saying that because you have a trained nose, which isn’t the case for me. You’re more experienced, right? Do you recognize what Yam is saying? Yeah, very much so. I sense a lot of depth, and it’s already very appealing. Even though it hasn’t finished aging, I find there’s a kind of lusciousness that you can feel, and that’s something I really like. I always find it interesting to understand how these great wines are made. A bit like a masterpiece painting. You need the right colors to create the most beautiful and successful painting possible. Thank you for the gift, but thank you especially for coming. Wine is truly a moment of sharing and exchange, so that’s very important, and we were very reasonable—more than moderate—because we had a spittoon. It’s perfect; it’s mandatory. Thank you anyway . Hello to those we didn’t see. Oh, you were waiting. Ah yes, I see that. Thank you. What a welcome! Ah yes, you were right. It was about time you arrived. Oh really? They don’t wait. Are you well? Well, I’m very well. Yes. And we hadn’t yet met, Mr. Katia, pleased to meet you. How are you? There you go. Thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful estate. What’s that? It’s tricandie. Yes. Okay. It’s the intestinal tract of OK. So, which is obviously very well cleaned and then cooked. And then we take up the embers again, and it’s something that’s quite classic, quite traditional in the region. And there you have it. So, let’s raise a glass to Trixandi in moderation. We’ll see later if it’s in moderation, if it’s good or not. I hope you like it. It’s like eating a sausage that doesn’t have any meat inside. It’s true, it’s good, isn’t it? Well, I wanted to thank you all for your welcome to this beautiful property, for allowing us to share your work and your beautiful, let’s say beautiful home. It’s a very, very beautiful castle. There you go, thank you, and cheers. Thank you. Thank you. It was a really great experience, wasn’t it, living so close to everything, rubbing shoulders with the different professions and people who work on properties like this one. It’s very interesting. My goal was to see how tourism and the different appellations had evolved. Each one has tried to develop activities around its château. And I think there’s a younger generation, including yourself, that’s really highlighting all of this. It’s true, they’re interested in more than just wine, in how to bring people together around the vineyard in a broader sense. You’re the one who took me behind the scenes of all that. So, I wanted to thank you for that. Listen, with great pleasure. I’m delighted you had a good time and I hope you’ll come back to Bordeaux very soon. Yes, I still have so much to discover here. It will be a great pleasure, and I will refine my palate with each visit to the region. I hope you enjoyed this journey. I hope you will also venture into this beautiful region. I ‘ll see you very soon for more wonderful getaways to other faraway lands. You can watch this program again online or follow us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and all the others, of course. Until next time. Cheers!