Welcome to Bordeaux by Carole Kotkin  The wines of Bordeaux inspire descriptions like "extraordinary balance" and "gorgeous showstopper," but many people do not know there is actually a city of Bordeaux. With nearly 15,000 wine chateaus in the region, travelers tend to by-pass the city, preferring to spend their time in the nearby wine districts.  Bordeaux is one of France's largest cities and has some of the country's finest 18th century architecture. In the past leaders of this traditional and conservative city did not embrace tourism, but thanks to a newfound civic pride Bordeaux's monuments and buildings are being restored to their original splendor to attract visitors. The cleaned-up Garonne River waterfront, the former center of Bordeaux's international trade, is lined with trendy restaurants and wine bars. Adventuresome chefs, hoteliers and winemakers are infusing both the city and its surrounding countryside with a welcome new energy. And an ultramodern new tram system provides service to most of Bordeaux’s neighborhoods. Shoppers crowd the Rue Ste.-Catherine, a car-free boulevard anchored by the Galeries Lafayette. All the big names of European couture are there -- Kenzo, Sonia Rykiel, Escada, and Ferragamo. Distinctive Bordelaise boutiques can be found on the side streets.
 
 Nestled along the western coast of France, Bordeaux is lush with 2.3 million acres of vineyards. There are about 40 different wine regions, the four major ones are: Pomerol, Graves, Pessac-Leognan, St-Emilion and Medoc. The Medoc region is also broken down into four important inner appellations: St.-Estephe, Paulliac, St.-Julien and Margaux. Before beginning an exploration of the region stop at the Bordeaux Wine School which provides in-depth information, including the history, cultivation, and tastings of  Bordeaux wine. There are courses for all levels of knowledge. (http://ecole.vins-bordeaux.fr/) You will learn that two great rivers, the Garonne and the Dordogne flow east to west and meet north of the city. They form a large estuary called the Girone that flows northwest to the Atlantic Ocean. Along the banks of all three rivers lie the wine estates, or chateaux. These chateaux are country houses rather than castles; some small and modest while others are large and ornate. Bordeaux has always welcomed guests. Many châteaux were built expressly for hospitality: the owner, who often lived  elsewhere, would gather there with his friends for the harvest. Visitors to this region can stop at a chateau to taste young wines from the barrel and then, to complete the experience, enjoy a  mature vintage of the same wine with dinner. Bordeaux, with its proliferation of world-renowned châteaux, is like driving through a fine wine shop come to life as you discover the communes of Margaux, St.-Julien, Pauillac, St. Emilion (whose unique culture and topography earned it a place on UNESCO's World Heritage list in late 1999) and St.-Estèphe. Fortunately for wine lovers, the Bordeaux Tourism Office (12, cours du 30 Juillet; 33-5-56-00-66-00; www.bordeaux-tourisme.com) provides daily bus trips (April 1 to Nov. 15) to the key appellations, including St.-Émilion (Wednesday and Sunday), Graves and Sauternes (Friday) and the Médoc (Thursday and Saturday). Each trip includes a visit to two chateaux. Chateau Lynch Bages offers wine tour information at www.bordeauxsaveurs.com.
 Like Paris, Bordeaux has its right and left banks. The north or “right bank” of the Dordogne River includes the esteemed appellations of Pomerol and St-Emilion, in addition to lesser-known (and less expensive) appellations such as Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot, Lussac-St-Emilion,  Fronsac and Lalande-de-Pomerol. Merlot is the main grape of the right bank, although Bordeaux wine’s unique flavor is linked to the careful blending of several grape varieties, which varies according to terroir and chateau. Most right bank wines are blends of Merlot and Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet  Sauvignon. Right bank reds tend to be more luscious and less austere than those of the left bank. The western bank of the Garonne River, usually referred to as the “left bank,” produces the region’s most profound Cabernet  Sauvignon-based wines, such as Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Latour and Chateau Lafite Rothschild. It includes the famous appellations of Margaux, St-Julien, Pauillac and St-Estephe. The predominant red-wine grapes of the left bank are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The Cabernet Sauvignon grape gives Bordeaux reds their rich tannins, depth of flavor and amazing longevity. Merlot, adds softness and roundness, and Cabernet Franc adds subtle aromas. nd luscious Sauternes; and Sauvignon Blanc used to make fruity, dry wines.
Wine has been produced in Bordeaux continuously since about the 11th Century. The English have been linked with Bordeaux ever since the 12th Century when Eleanor of Aquitane gave the area to Henry II as part of her dowry. The English rule lasted for 300 years. The Bordelaise helped the occupiers develop the trade in the local red wine, christened claret by the English. The English influence remains to this day, with the labels of great Bordeaux wines bearing English and Irish names such as Brown, Palmer, Smith, Barton and Lynch. The grands crus, which account for just 1 percent of Bordeaux properties, were classified for their excellence in 1855 for the Médoc and Sauternes regions. The wines of Graves were classified in 1953 with a revision in 1959, and those of St. Emilion were classified in 1954. Five winemakers from the hillsides of the Gironde got together in 1985 to form the Union of Cotes de Bordeaux —Cotes de Bourg, Premiers Cotes de Bordeaux et Cadillac, Cotes de Castillon, Cotes de Francs and Cotes de Blaye. The renaissance spirit has also taken hold here and Bordeaux's vintners are preserving the best of the old traditions while boldly exploring new frontiers in viticulture. These new stride include clearing land to plant high-density vineyards, experimenting with new methods in winemaking, and building new wineries outfitted with state-of-the art equipment. Gastronomic Shopping:   Jean d'Alos, Cheese Shop, 4, rue Montesquieu, Bordeaux, 56-44-29-66. Mr. d'Alos, whom most consider the best affineur, or ripener, of cheeses in France, carries over 150 farm and raw milk cheeses. Ask for a taste.
Where to Stay:
Bordeaux: Normandie, 7, cours 30 Juillet, (33-5) 56.52.16.80; fax (33-5) 56.51.68.91; www.hotel-de-normandie-bordeaux.com. The location, just off the chic Allées de Tourny, is ideal, and the welcome is warm from the Laguens family, the owners for three generations.   Le Sources de Claudalie, Chemin de Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Martillac 33650, (011) 33-5-57-83-83-83, www.sources-caudalie.com This charming hotel and spa is located in the midst of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte's vineyards in Pessac-Léognan. It was opened in June 1999 by Daniel and Florence Cathiard on the grounds of their Pessac-Léognan estate, Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte. The hotel has 40 rooms and nine suites, many with private patios or decks. The "spa de vinothérapie" is based on the notion that treatments using products extracted from the polyphenols of grapeskins, seeds and indigenous yeasts are healthy for you.
 Hostellerie de Plaisance, Place du Clocher, St.-Emilion 33330, (011) 33-5-57-55-07-55
www.hostellerie-plaisance.com. This Relais & Châteaux hotel offers great views of the vineyards. It lies in the heart of the historic town, just next to the bell tower, or clocher, of the unique Eglise Monolithe, which was carved, cavelike, into the limestone below the square dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries.
Chateau Cordeillan Bages, routes des chateaux, 33250 Pauillac, 33 0 5 56 73 24 00, inforchato@lynchbages.com or www.bordeauxsaveurs.com. This small luxury hotel is the best home base from which to explore the Médoc. Set in the middle of the vines on the outskirts of Pauillac, this Relaix & Chateaux hotel, is an attractive 18th century mansion converted into a hotel and housing a Michelin two-star restaurant. Where to Eat: Like most wine capitals, Bordeaux has always been a good eating town, and its inhabitants are fond of its oysters with little sausages, foie gras, and roasted chicken, duck, and lamb. Bordeaux's restaurants long ago discovered their customers come primarily for le vin, and their menus are, of course, wine-friendly. There can be few wine and food marriages more satisfying than rosy slices of Pauillac lamb fragrant with garlic served with a fine Médoc.  La Tupina, 6, rue Porte de la Monnaie, (33-5) 56.91.56.37; fax (33-5) 56.31.92.11. La Tupina is the restaurant most devoted to regional cuisine. If you can have only one meal in Bordeaux, eat it here. Owner Jean-Pierre Xiradakis grills and roasts magnificent chickens and ribs of beef  over an open hearth. His foie gras, adorned only with gros sel (large grains of salt), and his potatoes fried in goose fat remind you that you're in the southwest of France. Located in one of Bordeaux's oldest quarters, just off the  river, this homey restaurant centers around a fireplace sizzling with slabs of red meat, duck and chicken. Xiradakis supports farmers who supply authentic regional ingredients, while his wine list spotlights talented vignerons in obscure appellations. Servings are generous and customers leave deeply pleased and satisfied.
La Grand'Vigne, Les Sources de Caudalie, Chemin de Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Bordeaux-Martillac 33650, (011) 33-5-57-83-83-83, , www.sources-caudalie.com. La Grand'Vigne is the crown jewel of Les Sources de Caudalie, The elegant 45-seat restaurant, a Michelin one-star, is both sober and opulent. Bay windows open to a patio and a pond where swans glide against a pastoral backdrop of gently sloping vineyards hemmed by woods. Chef Franck Salein, is from the Languedoc. His cuisine is delicate and flavorful; the dishes emphasize the quality of the ingredients, allowing their pure flavors to shine. The impeccable service is friendly and attentive. The excellent wine list offers 600 selections backed by a 15,000-bottle inventory -- two-thirds from Bordeaux (with impressive verticals of the first-growths), one-third from Burgundy, Spain and other regions. Chief sommelier Stephen Towler, knows his wines intimately and will match a different wine with each dish.   Caudalie's second restaurant, a bistro named La Table du Lavoir, is less sophisticated but no less appealing. Diners can order from the main wine list or from a smaller, less expensive list filled with good-value Bordeaux . Here, Chef Franck Salein dishes up authentic regional fare, such as hare and wood pigeon served with rich, thick red wine sauces. Try a side  of fried potato chips, which are cooked in goose fat to a miraculously crisp-and-tender texture. But leave room for the small cannelés, a Bordeaux dessert delicacy that Salein does better than anyone else.
Café Lavinal, Place Desquet-Bages, 33250 Pauillac, 330 5 57 75 00 09, café.lavinal@bordeauxsaveurs.com. This brasserie-type restaurant is frequented by wine growers and visitors alike because of its warm, inviting atmosphere. Located at the prestigious Chateau Lynch Bage winery, Café Lavinal serves bistro-type comfort food. The Jean-Charles Cazes family,owner of Chateau Lynch Bages, have restored the village of Bages by establishing a bakery, shops, and two restaurants. |
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