Exploring Saint-Émilion and Vicinity

After bidding a fond farewell to the River Royale staff and to our newly-made friends, we headed to the Bordeaux train station to pick up our rental car for the last phase of our Bordeaux explorations. 
 

En route to Saint-Émilion

This day we were headed back to the Saint-Émilion area to spend a few extra days for in-depth exploration of this beautiful region to the east of Bordeaux by car.


Our first stop was to drop our bags at the lovely B&B, the Clos de la Barbanne where we would stay.  We only paused as we had to dash back to the city of Saint-Émilion for a Sunday lunch reservation in town at L'Huitrier-Pie (the oyster-catcher bird!).

Saint-Émilion has always been at the heart of the wine region in this part of France. Viticulture was introduced to this fertile area of Aquitaine by the Romans, and intensified in the Middle Ages. 

It benefited from its location on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela and many churches, monasteries and hospices were built there from the 11th century onwards. It was granted the special status of a 'jurisdiction' during the period of English rule in the 12th century. It is an exceptional landscape in a region devoted largely to wine and cuisine.

Having found this charming restaurant, tucked away down a steep and winding lane, we happily indulged in the Sunday lunch menu (photos below).

Needless the say lunch was delicious, and the experience was made all-the-more more delightful by being able to sit in the lovely courtyard under the olive trees.

Photos of our lunchtime feast (I drool again as I write the blog!):

And so, after walking off lunch around the hills of the town we were lucky enough to find a special Sunday market in the town cloisters.  So we picked up some local cheese and bread so that we could retreat to our lovely inn for the evening and sip the wine that we had previously purchased.

Clos de la Barbanne (http://www.closdelabarbanne.com/) is actually a small working winery run by Laurent and Annie Gerber. The inn has four guest rooms looking out over the soft, rolling countryside a short distance north-east of Saint-Émilion. The inn is exquisite in every detail, and pin-drop quiet.

Our room had a terrace looking out over the vineyards, and at night we had a full moon illuminating the magical countryside.It was a good thing we had a sound sleep because the next morning we were off to explore the countryside and visit a number of historic villages and world-class wineries. 

Laurent and Lee at work

But before we could depart, Lee started exploring the wine making at the inn and Laurent was kind enough to invite Lee up to help with the punching down of the recently-crushed grapes that will make this year's vintage of Concerto Bordeaux.

Our first full morning was dedicated to exploring the villages surround Saint-Émilion, all dedicated to growing grapes. Since 1289 these villages have fallen under the Saint-Émilion jurisdiction and the whole region (!) was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999.

And so we spent the morning driving through Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, Saint-Hippolyte, Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, Saint-Pey-d'Armens, Vignonet, and Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens. Each village had a special character--a Romanesque church, a prehistoric menhir, a château in addition to the vineyards.

What made this such an interesting time of year to visit was that the harvest was well under way and so there were many pickers and machines dotting each site, truly a beehive of activity.

We then hurried back to the inn to freshen up and change our clothes because we had a lunch date at a one star Michelin restaurant, Les Belles Perdrix at the Château Troplong Mondot. 

As with so many wonderful restaurants in France, the setting is half of the pleasure. The restaurant sat on a rise overlooking the vineyards of the château and the interior was warm and cozy.

 


But what drew us here was the promise of amazing food and wine! And we were not disappointed.








 

The menu of the day

Each course was a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. The composition of the plate and the decoration made each dish a work of art.

We savored each course along with wines from the Château. Lee selected glasses of the same wine, but from different vintages so that we could sample the characteristics of each year. This experience was truly one of the many high points of this trip.

Upon finally leaving the restaurant we decided to drive along the roads that led to the Pomerol region and the world-famous Château Petrus so that we could pay homage to one of the greatest (and costliest!!) wines ever produced.

While we stood there admiring the Château and the adjoining vineyards, several other cars of devotees arrived to look and admire as well. No tasting room here though!

 
As we drove back to the inn at the end of the day, we spotted one of the massive harvesters going through a field and so we pulled over to watch. The driver was kind enough to pause so that we could get a photo up close. Truly an amazing machine and what skill to run it!

And so after a long and fascinating day immersed in the wonders of this part of Bordeaux we arrived back at the inn. Annie had prepared a large plate of cheeses, bread, olives and, of course, wine. We sat on our terrace and room and reflected on a perfect day.

Our final day was to be dedicated to exploring deeper into the Dordogne area to the region of Périgord and Quercy and the town of Périgeux. But then Annie and Laurent persuaded us to head to the smaller town of Brântome. Our drive to this region was interesting in that we gradually left behind the gently rolling hills and vineyards of Saint-Émilion for the flatter lands where wheat and corn are grown.


   

This charming town, on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, sits on an island encircled by the Dronne river. Its buildings cluster around an 8th-century Benedictine abbey founded by Charlemagne. The Vikings (adept at traveling along rivers in their flatboats as well as the sea) laid waste to it in the mid-800s. It was rebuilt many times over, and has one of the oldest bell towers in France.

While there were not many tourist attractions to occupy us, it was a charming place to stroll around and to have yet another delightful lunch of local specialities at a simple restaurant along the banks of the river.







 And so the following morning we bid a fond farewell to our hosts at the Clos de la Barbanne and Bordeaux and prepared for our return to Florence. It had been lovely to be back in France for a stretch of time and enjoy the very special tastes and sights of this region, especially since we even managed to resuscitate our long-unused French language skills for a time.

Au revoir to Bordeaux

Discovering Bordeaux: River Cruise, Part 3 & Return to Bordeaux

Following our brief afternoon visit to Saint-Émilion, we cruised back along the Dordogne River to the Garonne, and then on to Bordeaux for the evening. There we could stroll the beautiful river-front promenade and enjoy the city by night before heading south to our last port, the town of Cadillac in the heart of the Graves region.

Sauternes grapes with the noble rot

In addition to being known for its white (as well as red) wines, this region of Bordeaux is the home of world-famous Sauternes wines. Sauternes is made from grapes that have been affected by what is called "noble rot" -- a fungus that causes a somewhat raisin-like drying out. This results in a very concentrated, perfumed and distinctly flavored sweet wine.

Our education and experience began with a visit to, and tasting at the producer La Tour Blanche. Here we had a tour of the production facilities and a tasting of Sauternes from 2007 and 2009 so that we could compare the development of the flavors from two different vintages. Interestingly, a good year for Sauternes--cool and wet--is exactly the opposite for the other grapes of the Bordeaux region. 

So interesting and delicious was the tasting that we decided to buy a small bottle for our own future dining pleasure (and which we later enjoyed back in Florence).

 





Current tastes are less inclined to sweet wines but a visit and special lunch at the Château d'Arche persuaded us to be more open-minded. We feasted on a three-course lunch (smoked salmon, caramelized hen, and peach melba), in which each course was accompanied by a different Sauternes selected to complement and enhance the flavors of each dish.

Sauternes lunch

Much to our surprise, this really worked well. While we would probably not ourselves try to plan a dinner in which each course was accompanied by a glass of Sauternes, the experience did broaden our horizons.And also made us think that we should more frequently finish a meal with a cheese plate accompanied by a glass of Sauternes.

Our three lunch sauternes

Following lunch, we returned to the ship in a very pleasant state of mind after this delightful meal and accompanying Sauternes, and embarked for our final sail back to Bordeaux. 

Grand Hotel de Bordeaux

We had two more nights and one full day in the city while under the charmed care of Uniworld. Rather than sight-see again, we opted to spend our last day in a cooking class at the Grand Hotel de Bordeaux.

Our head chef Stéphane

After our immersion into Italian life and food over the past few years, we decided that it was time to become reacquainted with traditional (and new!) French ingredients and cooking techniques.








And so the next morning we were whisked off the ship to the kitchens of the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Pressoir d'Argent, to meet Stéphane Carrade, executive chef, and the two sous-chefs who would guide 12 of us through the preparation of our amazing lunch.

Opening & cleaning scallops

What surprised us most was the reminder of the large amounts of butter routinely used in French cuisine.  (while living south of the Apennines, we have become olive oil people). French butter is delicious, and the resulting dishes so delicious that we decided not to worry about what it might be doing to our arteries.
 
Lunch included:  1) an appetizer of scallops prepared with roasted yellow beets, 2) a main course of local fish and sauteed cèpes mushrooms with a mousseline sauce made from Jerusalem artichokes, and 3)  a dessert of lemon cream framed by spiced biscuits. Of course, this all sounds all-the-more more delicious in French!

Zesting a lemon for dessert

So we set to work learning how to open and clean scallops, how to filet fish, saute mushrooms, zest lemons.

Lee was especially interested in the techniques of the pastry chef, and so volunteered to help prepare dessert. What interested us as much as the food preparation were the techniques for plate decoration.


 

The Executive Chef pours the champagne

After hours of hard work (truly, we did peel, saute, and stir) it was time to begin our lunch celebration with the prerequisite of every meal in a French fine-dining venue - a glass of champagne. And what a feast it was!!!






 
Close-up food porn pictures from our lunch.

Scallops with roasted beets

Fish with cèpes and Jerusalem artichoke mousseline

Lemon cream with spiced biscuits & lemon sorbet

Lee as a Michelin starred chef!

Discovering Bordeaux: River Cruise, Part 2

From our stops along the Gironde estuary we turned eastward towards the Dordogne River, sailing to the town of Right Bank town of Libourne. The area along the Dordogne is known as "the countryside of a thousand and one castles" because of the castles that were constructed along the banks of this winding and beautiful river, by wealthy merchants from the Bordeaux area. From our two-night base in Libourne, we were able to explore further inland to the villages of Bergerac (home of Cyrano of the large nose) and then Saint-Émilion. 

The Hermione

On our way to Libourne we experienced a special event:  we sailed alongside the Hermione, a restored French frigate from 1799, as it headed to Bordeaux to help inaugurate the city's new esplanade.

The Hermione is famous for having brought General Lafayette to the United States in 1780 so that he could join the American side in the Revolutionary War. As our routes parted, the Hermione's canons fired a broadside of 8 successive shots to say "au revoir!"



 

Cyrano de Bergerac

Bergerac is a charming town, and is well known for its wines. It is also home to many culinary delights such as foie gras and duck confit.

 
Our walking tour took us through the lovely winding streets of the town with a stop at its enticing food market and statues dedicated to Edmund Rostand's romantic hero, Cyrano de Bergerac and Roxanne, his lady love.

Savoring duck confit & local wine

Happily, we were on our own for lunch and so could indulge in a feast of tasty local specialties including: salade de gesiers (sauteed duck livers and kidneys -- tastes far better than it sounds), and confit de canard. 

Confit is a centuries-old process of preservation that consists of salt curing the leg of a duck or goose and then cooking it in its own fat-deadly but delicious.

Chateau de Monbazillac

Following lunch we were back on the bus and off to the Château de Monbazillac, one of the area's most prestigious cellars, to visit and to taste some of the local sweet wines.





 

Tasting the local sweet wine

The château dates from around 1550 and has been faithfully preserved. This area was a Protestant stronghold during the Wars of Religion. Because of the prestige of its wines, it was largely left unscathed through the religious wars and the French Revolution.

We strolled around its lovely grounds overlooking the vineyards, and tasted two of its sweet white wines. The grapes are grown in clay and limestone soil, and are picked when over-ripe so that the sugar content is high, after having been attacked by a fungus (the "noble rot") which occurs in the fall of the year. This process concentrates the flavors and sweetness even further.

We then re-boarded our bus to head back to the ship and to an unusual adventure.

Libourne during the mascaret--note the waves

The Dordogne is one of the few rivers in the world that experiences a phenomenon called "un mascaret" or "tidal bore". Such bores occur in areas with a large tidal swing  between high and low water -- more than 20 feet for the Dordogne! -- and where incoming tides are funneled into a shallow, narrowing river or lake via a broad bay. 

We had a full moon, which further amplifies the tidal swings. Our ship risked being caught in the mini-tsunami effect resulting from the clash of in-rushing high-tide inflow, against the inertial outflow of water resulting from both the natural flow of the river and the residual effects of the low-tide outflow.

Surviving the mascaret!

But thanks to the vigilant crew of the River Queen, we were fully prepared for these events. At each change of tide the ship had to leave berth for the safety of the middle of the river, until the mini-sunami had passed. 

This happened each night while we were berthed at Libourne.  We were fortunate enough to witness this while awake one afternoon, from the ship's top deck with drinks in hand! Not exactly Titanic, but fun and certainly interesting.

Our last morning here included a brief visit to the Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot for a wine tasting and the charming villa of Saint Émilion. Unfortunately, it was a rainy and blustery day but that did not stop us. We did not mind because we knew we would be returning here for a few days after the cruise. Wine talk to come.

Blending cabernet sauvignon and merlot, this château produces a premier grand cru wine--very high quality.

Our tasting here offered a glimpse of the wonderful wines ahead from this "right bank" area of Bordeaux.

What was special about this visit to Saint Émilion was the to the subterranean, monolithic church which dates from the 12th century. The church was dug out by hand from a limestone cliff and has the most amazing pillars and sculpture. Difficult to conceive of all the wine shops and restaurants above!