Mysteries of the Médoc

We stayed overnight in Bordeaux and took an early bus tour of the city itself, and into the Médoc region, to Chateau le Taillan.

This is the first winery north of Bordeaux, on the left bank of the Garonne, which matters mightily when you are discussing the wines that bear this appellation. We had a very excellent tour guide, who explained to us the ranking and naming system for Médoc wines, which was a very good education.

Chateau le Taillan has been in the same family for five generations, and two sisters now manage the estate and the winery. The chateau is 18^th century, and was always known as La Dame Blanche, for its white color. That name is now used for their white Bordeaux.

It has the distinction of having the oldest wine cellar in the region – a 16^th century building that still serves its original purpose today. One can just imagine the candles lit and the first owners inspecting their casks.

At this winery, they also produce a rosé and – of course – red wine, and we had the chance to sample each. Loved them all and now have some with us.

We returned to the city and had a lovely lunch at Le Petit Commerce, where it is all about the fish. Don had his oysters and we shared a lovely sole. All in all, a great way to celebrate what happened to be our wedding anniversary. And last evening, we had drinks with our hosts here at our gîte, who wanted us to sample the cépes they have just gathered from their woods. It was amazing tasting these lovely fragrant mushrooms of the spring. All in all, a lovely day and a fun evening with all of us trying each others’ language. Amazing how well we could communicate – and the champagne helped!