Under the Influence of Bordeaux

Visiting Bordeaux is a form of pilgrimage for wine lovers around the world. It is a massive area covering varying terroir and paying tribute to some of the varietals South Africans are most familiar with, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and to a lesser extent Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Why Bordeaux? Certainly, this region is the birth place for many great wines and is often used as a benchmark by winemakers around the world. Kevin Arnold, winemaker of Waterford Estate in the Stellenbosch region, has likened the Helderberg pocket to the Pauillac appellation in Bordeaux, due to wines from these regions often having a stronger and more austere tannin finish.

How does one go about arranging a visit to this region? It must be said that visiting Chateaux in France is not simply a matter of arriving at the door with an empty glass and a smile, which will suffice in Stellenbosch. Some preparation is certainly key!

The first step is to gather as many contacts in Bordeaux as possible as personal introductions are essential. The second step is to draft a beautifully written email and send it to the Chateaux that you wish to visit. The third step is to not get frustrated when nobody responds! Rather, translate your original email into French and resend. Watch that inbox because the replies will fly in! Then, after numerous translations and counter translations your dates will be set. Some Chateaux like Mouton Rothschild will charge you, but nothing excessive. Mouton Rothschild is a good example of the wealth and aura synonymous with first growth Chateaux. A wine tour of the facility is complimented by a visual presentation that would make an I-Max producer jealous, a tour around a priceless wine collectible museum and the grand finale, a barrel sample tasting of the latest pre-release vintage. One almost feels guilty drinking some of this precious liquid, almost. Suffice to say, the credit cards are usually out before the wine is even poured.

More sedate and personable wine interactions can be found on the Right bank, in St Emillion and Pomerol. The medieval village of St Emillion is absolutely beautiful, set amongst rolling hills of vineyards. The town council has banned satellite dishes, rather opting to pay for everyone to receive cable television, to maintain the heritage of the area. Whilst still not easy to access, the leading Chateaux like Angelus, Pavie and Bellefont-Belcier will give you a guided tour, in most cases by the wine maker or owner themselves. A wine tasting will also lead to a lengthy discussion on the wine and the terroir, because the French understand that the land and climate are everything for a wine. Bordeaux certainly has a wonderful diversity of both, which can only be experienced first hand.

If you need advice or recommendations when planning your wine trip to Bordeaux please contact info@undertheinfluence.co.za