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September 26, 2006 - October 6, 2006
Jeffrey Lizotte
A little more than a week spent in Bordeaux this past September has changed my life. I had the fortune to realize many a young cook’s dream; a gastronomic, hedonistic and educational trip to one of France’s most acclaimed wine growing areas, Bordeaux. Like in every professional kitchen, the timing is crucial. My time in Bordeaux took place during the climax of the vendage, when the majority of the sacred fruit was harvested. The fermentation tanks were full and pumping, and the hopes and ambitions of many French winemakers were at there fullest. It was an epic scene.
Throughout my short trip in Bordeaux, many memories were made in vineyards, at chateaus and at restaurants. Of course I was reluctant to leave behind all the great people I met and incredible places I went. Although these experiences would fade away soon after I left, the tastes I enjoyed and developed while here would stay with me. My memories of taste from France will remain, long after all the others. I believe these are the best memories. This is my journal during my trip to Bordeaux from September 26th through October 4th 2006.
Day 1: Septmeber 26, 2006
The blue van that would be my wheels for the next week was parked down the one-way street where a friend of mine from university was living in Bordeaux. I heard the horn beeping and rushed over with all my belongings to meet my host Christophe Chateau of the 5 Cotes de Bordeaux and fellow recipient, Dennis Stella. The three of us were to spend some time with each other for the next week or so, and I had a good feeling about them both then and there.
 We set off on our first excursion in Bordeaux, to Cotes de Castillon. I guess first impressions are important, no matter what context, because the first Chateau and winemaker we met was truly exceptional. Philippe Carille and his chateau, Chateau Poupille, were in the midst of picking the final merlot grapes when we arrived late that morning. We saw the trucks, filled to the brim with fully matured dark purple merlot grapes, dumping them into the de-stemming machine.
Philippe, as Christophe had warned Dennis and I, was an intense character. Intense in the vineyards and winery, where he makes some of the best wine in Castillon. We were lucky enough to enjoy a lunch at the Château with Philippe, his wife and the entire vineyard staff. We were served a typical delicious staff meal of tomato salad from the garden and rabbit stew. As the final plates of cheese were being passed around, and we prepared to leave the table, Philippe jumped out of his chair and exclaimed,” Lets have some Sabayon!” Perplexed at this sudden ambition, I watched intently as Philippe scurried back into the kitchen and began heating some sweet wine with sugar, and cracking eggs, all the while explaining to Dennis and I why his sabayon was so good. Within three minutes we sat together at the table again, this time drinking a loose but frothy sabayon out of wine glasses. A perfect way to finish my first meal in Bordeaux.
Back into the blue van which really belongs to Christophe’s four children. We took a quick ride down the road to one of the most visually arresting chateaus in all of Bordeaux. Chateau Pitray in Cotes de Castillon is a traditional grand chateau built in the 15th century. It is castle like with beautiful landscaping and a gorgeous array of climbing ivy covering the south side of the chateau. Christophe explained that there are no vines in sight of the château itself because of an aristocratic tradition. Money was seen as dirty to the aristocrats of France before the revolution. The vines were the source of money for the lord of the house therefore they are separated from the residence in order to portray a clean image. Fortunately this tradition is out of style.
After our short visit to chateau Pitray, Christophe brought us to a chateau in the smallest of all the Bordeaux cotes, Cotes de Francs. Just to the west of Cotes de Castillon lies Cotes de Francs. We visited briefly Château Tyfaine and met the owner and head wine maker, Renaud Limbosch, supposedly the Belgium minority among Bordeaux winemakers. After a quick tour and tasting, we jumped back into the van and headed back to Bordeaux for a quick tour of the Maison du Vin de Bordeaux. Christophe’s office is located here, a beautiful 18th century building in the vibrant center of Bordeaux.
After admiring the view from Christophe’s office window, we decided to go for a short walk around the city center. We came across the well known Jean d’Alos Fromagerie. Dennis and I were thrilled to have the opportunity to view the superb display in the store. Just as we were about to leave, Christophe mentioned the possibility of meeting Jean d’Alos. Jean came up from the caves to greet us and then escorted us down the narrow curving stairs for a wonderful tour. I tasted some of the best cheese while I was down there. The enthusiasm Jean d’Alos exhibited as he explained his philosophy on cheese rubbed off on all three of us while we were there. This would not be the last Frenchman passionate about food and wine I would meet.
With dusk settling in, we drove back to Christophe’s house right outside the city center in Bordeaux. Christophe’s wife Sophie and their children were at the house to welcome us. After being shown to our beautiful rooms, we went out to dinner at a restaurant across the river Garonne called Estacade. Christophe was gracious enough to invite my friend from college who was working in Bordeaux at the time with us. We had a superb meal that night, with a beautiful view out the dining room window overlooking the river and Bordeaux city.
After dinner, Christophe suggested we go to La Tupina for dessert. Although Chef Jean Pierre would not be there that night, we went anyways to sample La Tupina’s grand assortment of desserts. We were brought out a large platter with a miniature version of every dessert that they serve at La Tupina. I have to admit that I liked the Bordeaux specialty, canneles, the most. Canneles start off like a pancake batter, rich in eggs, and are poured into arch molds and caramelized so that the outside is brown and crispy while the middle retains gooey goodness. After only one day, I am beginning to like Bordeaux very much.
Day 2: Septmeber 27, 2006
We had a big day ahead of us today. This required Dennis and I to be dressed and ready to roll by 9:30 a.m. I would like to say that we were punctual throughout our entire trip, but this morning was the beginning of a pattern that would persist most often than not. We were going to Cote de Blaye.
Christophe, Dennis and I drove about one hour out to the center of Blaye. Our first stop was the Maison du Vin, similar to the one in Bordeaux. We met some of the staff working there, and explored the excellent wine shop located inside. Across the street from the shop, was the sidewalk promenade that borders the Citadel of Blaye. There was a street market taking place that morning, and we strolled through it before heading into the citadel. We enjoyed the panoramic views of the Gironde River from the edges of the Citadel. We could see the many fishing nets hanging up along the river banks. Christophe explained that they were for catching crevettes, tiny fresh water shrimp. It was almost lunch time and we were getting hungry. Lucky for us, crevettes were on the menu that day.
We walked over to the tiny bistro located within the citadel where we supposed to enjoy a special lunch prepared by Chef Lerge with several French food journalists. Since we were ahead of schedule, the three of us enjoyed a bottle of white wine from Blaye and feasted on the crevettes that Christophe had told us about. They are delicious freshwater shrimp that are boiled and seasoned with star anise, served cold with a baguette and butter.
The day was splendid so we all decided to dine outside on the porch. Chef Lerge came out to explain the menu, and we all enjoyed a simple but splendid lunch.
The Menu
- Mise en bouche au corvettes del estarie
- Salade de Geisers de Canard, Confit aige doux et jeune cepes du pays
- Gigot d’ agneau de Marais, Ragout de fogettes de saugon
- Assiete de fromage
- Gove mandises du patissiere
- Wine: Chateau Ferthis, Cuvee Ulysee 2003
The lunch was excellent and it provided us the opportunity to meet many intriguing French journalists. Directly after the lunch, we were introduced to Jean Lissague, director of the Cotes de Blaye who took us on a formal tour of the citadel and then for a visit to some of the vineyards. Our first stop was at Chateau Mondesir Gazin. The head wine maker Marc Pasquet conducted a tour of the newly renovated facility and an informal tasting. We tasted the 2003 Chateau Mondesir Gazin which is a Premier Cotes de Blaye wine. Marc confessed that 2003 was a tuff vintage and that a lot of the wines might be a little awkward. I began to realize what Christophe and other winemakers had told us before. During a difficult vintage, winemakers that are still able to produce a good wine which demonstrates their true talents and proves they are exceptional producers.
After the tasting, Jean asked us to answer a few questions a young French reporter had for the two “chef Americans.” A local newspaper in Bordeaux was doing an article about our trip to Bordeaux and what we hoped to accomplish. It was a flattering experience to be interviewed. We then got back on the bus with the rest of the French journalists and headed off to chateau Grillet Beausejour. A tour, tasting, dinner and night vendage awaited us there.
Chateau Grillet Beausejour was a traditional looking chateau built with the typical limestone bricks that covered most buildings on the right bank of the Gironde. The largest chateau we had visited thus far, we began with a formal tour by the owner and head winemaker Franck Jullion. His facility, like many in the region, was balancing between older more traditional equipment like concrete fermentation tanks to a series of brand new stainless steel tanks. After the tour, a dinner was prepared for us by Chef Lerge, owner of the bistro we ate at for lunch in the citadel. Accompanied by a vertical pairing of Chateau Grillet Beausejour, we enjoyed another great meal by Chef Lerge.
The Menu
- Pate de Campange on crostini
- Tourchon of foie gras with warm figs
- Sauteed pigeon breast and ragout of leg with a walnut liqour gastrique
- Selection of cabecou cheese
- Macaroon epices with vanilla ice cream
Supper lasted almost three and half hours that night. I sat next to an French American journalist named Edward. He was born and raised in New York City, but came to Paris in the late sixties, fell in love, and has been living in France ever since. It was interesting to hear a knowledgeable American’s perspective on food and culture in France. Many of the preconceptions and ideals that I had were contradicted by what he told me. He emphasized that not as many French are gourmands as I would have liked to believe, and that the A.O.C. system in France was antiquated and in need of reform. I really valued the time I got to spend with him and the insight he gave me.
Once dinner had finished, the twenty of us set out with tekki torches into the night among the vines, heavy with ripe merlot. Franck arranged for a mechanical harvester to pick some of us up and take us for a ride down the rows of vines. It was amazing to be out in the middle of the vineyard at 11:30 at night, watching the enormous truck run smoothly down each row of vines, only to leave them stripped of their precious fruit. I was impressed by the machines capabilities. I inspected the vines after the machine harvested, they did little to no damage to the vines themselves, and even left the grapes that were not ripe yet on the vine. Impressive technology.
Day 3: Septmeber 28, 2006
I woke up this morning, in a beautiful French country B&B in Blaye. The sun was shining through my bedroom window, beckoning me to begin another day in Bordeaux. I rushed to get my things together, ran downstairs for a quick but delicious breakfast the innkeeper had arranged for us, and then we were off to Cotes de Bourg. Christophe had arranged for the director of the Cotes de Bourg, Didier, to pick us up that morning and bring us to the Maison du Vin in Bourg where we would meet up with Christophe. The drive from the B&B in Blaye to the Maison du Vin in Bourg was directly through the heart of vineyards. The late morning sun was reflecting off the river to the east and illuminating the vineyards on their downward slope towards the bank of the Gironde.
Rendezvous at the Maison du Vin in Bourg with Christophe and then the four of us were off to visit Chateau Haut Girard. This chateau is owned and operated by the well spoken and confident winemaker Christopher Bonnet. His land is located on a wide and gradual slope towards the banks of the Gironde River, precisely where the river splits into the Dordogne and Garonne river. The vineyard provides an unparalleled view of the river and adjacent valleys. This is postcard material!
Christophe Bonnet provided an in depth tour of his vineyard and winery as well as tasting. The top cuvee of this Chateau, Peche du Roy, was one of my favorite wines that we have tasted thus far. Throughout our visit at Chateau Haut Girard, Christophe Bonnet’s big black dog, Bocuse, followed us around. Christophe Bonnet had named his dog after France’s most celebrated chef, Paul Bocuse.
From there the four of us piled back into the blue van and cruised over to Chateau Martinat. Proprietor and head winemaker Stephan Donze greeted us on our way up the driveway. Stephan instantly made us laugh with his witty and sometimes self defaming humor as he talked about his vineyard. He was really fun to be around and made our visit to his Chateau informative and enjoyable. We learned that Stephan, like many contemporary wine makers in Bordeaux, was not born into this profession and is quite new to it. He had worked in Paris for an importing company until five or six years ago when he decided to hang up his suite and tie and purchase this chateau. With no wine experience and a lot of ambition he has already established himself firmly in the region as well as the international market. His hands, like all the winemakers, are stained purple-pink from the grapes and his smile is infectious.
Stephan runs a self sufficient operation where nearly everything is done on premise. He has a large cellar for the maturation process and a huge storeroom for the packaging of the wine. He told us of his success with the 2004 vintage, while grabbing a few wines for our lunch. Stephan’s top cuvee is called Epicurea, and it was the 2004 vintage that gave him overnight success. After the American wine critic, Robert Parker rated his wine with a high 94, almost immediately he received two phone calls from large wine importers in the States. They purchased his entire stock of 2004 Epicurea. 2004 was a great year for Stephan and many others, but we would come to learn winemaking is not always this lucrative.
Stephan accompanied Dennis, Didier, Christophe and I for lunch at a superb brasserie in the town center of Bourg. Le Plaisance is a traditional brasserie where we all ordered from the a la carte menu and enjoyed some of the wines that Stephan had brought from his cellar. We drank Chateau Martinat 2005 as well as Epicurea 2004, both excellent wines. The Epicurea was well balanced with lots of smooth tannin and fruit. Not difficult to understand why Parker awarded it with such a high rating.
After lunch we dropped Stephan off at his chateau and decided to take a ride down by the river in Bourg. A Mediterranean microclimate exists on the banks of the Gironde River in Bourg because of the increased warmth and humidity caused by its proximity to the river. There were palm trees, terra -cotta roofed houses and tropical like vegetation all around the area. We could see the many Calais lined up on the bank of the river, which are the square nets used to fish for crevettes in the river.
Chateau Clos du Notaire is owned and operated by Roland Charbonier. Roland showed us the grounds of his property, similar to Chateau Haut Girard because of the downward slope of the vines towards the river. This is advantageous because its angle provides more direct sunlight for the vines and its closeness to the river provides increased warmth and protection from any early threats of frost. Roland brought us to his little hut in the middle of the vineyard to survey his estate from. We noticed there was a vacant plot within the vineyard. He explained that there used to be cabernet sauvignon vines, but had uprooted and replaced them with malbec. He was unhappy with the cab’s performance and now grows no cabernet. This was a decision he made 20 years ago, and only now is beginning to take root.
We had a nice tasting with Roland before leaving Bourg. We dropped Didier off at the Maison du Vin in Bourg, thanking him for arranging an amazing day in Cotes de Bourg. We headed back to Bordeaux, to have dinner at Jean Pierre Xiradakis’s shrine to Southwestern French cuisine, La Tupina.
As soon as you walk into the restaurant, you are immediately greeted with the warm smells of an open hearth. Christophe explained it’s like walking into your French grandmother’s kitchen. In front of the hearth that has chickens on a hand cranked rotisserie and 2’ thick cote de boeuf on the tiny grill, there is a table that displays some of the market fresh produce and meats that La Tupina procures everyday. I knew before even sitting down that this would be a special meal.
Chef Jean Pierre was waiting for us at our private table that evening. There was a special menu that he has prepared for us that evening. We started the meal with an aperitif of Blanc Lime, of which Jean Pierre owns the rights to. The menu was the following:
The Menu at La Tupina
- La Trance de grosse tomate, jus assaisonnee d’ huile d’olive et gros sel
- Escargots, girolles et Cepes
- Joue de boeuf en pot au feu sevi tiede avec grosses carottes, navets et Poireaux
- Desserts Grand Mere
Before we started the meal, we had traditional La Tupina amuse bouches of grilled pancetta, cracklings, cherry tomatoes and radishes. Jean Pierre also wanted us to try the pate de foie gras with grilled country bread. It was the best foie gras I ever had. Everything was super, from the market fresh tomatoes, local fresh snails with girolles mushrooms to the so simple yet most perfect pot au feu. Chef Jean Pierre insured that the American chefs who were visiting him would enjoy only the best authentic South Western food. This meal changed my life.
Day 4: Septmeber 29, 2006
Since we had accomplished so much the day before, we decided that today would be a bit less demanding. Christophe let us sleep in and we were thankful for that. Based on the meal we had last night at La Tupina and the quantity of wine that was drunk, we slept like babies. Our plan for today was to take a trip out to Cap-Ferret, the coastal resort village on the tip of the Bassin d’Arcachon. This is about an hour or so Southwest of Bordeaux. Sophie, Christophe’s wife, accompanied us today to Cap-Ferret, mostly because she did not want to miss out on the delicious oysters raised there. Christophe wanted us to see some of the vineyards and chateaus on the left bank of the Gironde. These are where the famous chateaus and first growths are located. Quite a contrast from the vineyards and chateaus of the right bank in Bordeaux.
We drove north from Bordeaux to Haut-Medoc, but on our way out of the city, we passed the famous first growth Chateau Haut-Brion. I wasn’t expecting to see this Chateau in its location, still within the city limits of Bordeaux and surrounded by stone walls. As we drove further up into Haut-Medoc, you could see the differences in the vines here and the soil. While the soil in Cotes de Bourg, Blaye and Castillon is clay like and limestone, the soil here on the opposite side of the river is gravel, leaving the ground with this infertile looking grey color.
We drove up to Margaux, to visit none other than Chateau Margaux. Christophe’s cousin is a grounds keeper for the estate and we met him as we were driving in. This is by far the most elegant Chateau I have visited yet and definitely lived up to its reputation. Tours are by appointment only, so we just walked around the outside of the property, admiring the landscaping and impeccable maintenance of all the facilities. After our quick walk about, we drove over to nearby Chateau Poujeaux, where a friend of Christophe and Sophie, Christophe Labenne is the owner. Chateau Poujeaux, a 52 -ectacres estate, is located on the eastern side of Moulis. We toured the facility and had a small tasting by Mr. Labenne. The wines were excellent, a bit more refined and complex than most of the wines we tasted from the right bank.
By now, we were hungry and anxious to get to Cap-Ferret for our seafood lunch. The drive was nice, through the forests outside of Bordeaux that were laden with cepes. We arrived in Cap-Ferret and went directly to the promenade that stretches a long the coast of the Bassin. We had lunch outside the restaurant called L’ Escaleu where we enjoyed a grand raw seafood platter. It included Arcachon oysters, little neck clams, mussels, crevettes and bulots. I had never had bulots before, small and big sea snails that take some skill removing from the shell. It was all extremely fresh and delicious, washed down with a nice dry white wine. In the distance we could see to the other side of the Bassin where a 140 meter sand dune stood. I ordered a whole grilled mullet with sauce vert that was cooked perfectly. Another simple but well done dish. The sun came out as we were finishing our lunch and we decided to go for a stroll out on the jetty to see some of the oyster farms.
The community is dependent on oyster farming and we were told that they suffered earlier this year because of an algae infection which contaminated most of the oysters in Arcachon. Lucky for us, it had all cleared up by now so we were able to enjoy the delicious bivalves. Christophe showed us the summer house he used to go with his parents as a child. Things have changed here since he was a kid, more houses, more people and less open space, but still a special place.
On our way back to Bordeaux that afternoon, I think Christophe was the only one awake, the rest of us were enjoying a nice afternoon nap. Later on that evening, Christophe, Dennis and I took a ride into Bordeaux center for a light meal. We went to check out a new place that his friend had just opened called Le Bouchon Bordelaise. It was a small little bistro off the center where we enjoyed a nice plate of charcuterie and cheese with fresh bread. After our small dinner, Christophe brought us to a bar called Calle Ocho. This was a two story Latin bar that served lots of cold coronas and blasted Spanish music. We treated Christopher to a couple of coronas, which to be honest tasted really good after drinking only wine for the last four days. Although I think we all would have liked to party a bit that night, we left after one beer because we were supposed to meet Jean Pierre early tomorrow morning for our introduction on the Capucin market.
Day 5: Septmeber 30, 2006
Christophe, Sophie, Dennis and I were out the door by 7:30, on our way to meet Jean Pierre at the café across the street from Christophe’s office in downtown Bordeaux. We had a cup of coffee as we waited for Chef Xiradakis to arrive on his scooter. He joined us for a coffee and then we were off on a Tour de Bordeaux a la Jean Pierre. We walked a good bit around the city as he told anecdotes or shared the history behind certain areas in Bordeaux while Christophe or Sophie translated for us. During our tour we would stop at a café for another cup of coffee, and inevitably someone would recognize Jean Pierre and they would sit down with us. It was like being in a parade, where onlookers would just join in and march along with us while Jean Pierre lead us on.
By 10:00 am we had made it to the market. The reason we were going to the market was because Dennis and I had accepted Christophe’s request for us to cook for him and his guests at his house on Monday night. Therefore, we needed to procure the best ingredients for a meal that we wished would impress Christophe and his guests. We came to the right place, but more importantly, we came with the right man. Jean Pierre demonstrated his influence when we made our way through the market as vendors went out of their way to greet him and meet us. We were assured that we would get the best quality of whatever we wanted, as long as we were with Chef Xiradakis.
The Capucin Market was a huge central market, similar to the many central markets that reside in most European cities. We got excellent veal sweetbreads, pristine royal dourade, and beautiful local produce. What really impressed me about the market was the absence of brand names, corporate logos or even organic labels. It was all about the food, nothing to do with marketing. The way it should be.
Dennis and I felt confident that we had attained the right ingredients to cook a special meal on Monday night. Starting with the best ingredients gives the cook an opportunity to transform them into glorious food.
That evening we were invited, along with Christophe and Sophie, to a special dinner event at a beautiful château in Cote de Castillon. There was to be a special dinner at Château Castegens where an induction ceremony for new members of the Confederation de la Lamproie and The Confederation de Cotes de Castillon. We arrived right before dusk, and admired the view from the terrace outside the Chateau, overlooking the green pasture where hundreds of sheep were grazing. From our vantage point, it looked like something out of the middle ages. Christophe explained that down in the pasture they reenact the battle of Castillon every summer, the famous and decisive victory for the French during the 100 years war. Perhaps this is why I got such an medieval feeling as a I surveyed this small valley behind the Chateau.
The history continued during dinner with the formal induction ceremony that took place before the meal. The dinner was to honor the new inductees into both confederations. The master of ceremonies and current members stood in front of us, clad in long medieval robes and speaking in old French. The ceremony lasted almost an hour for both confederations and by the end of it we were all anxious to taste what all the fuss was about.
Lamproie, or lamprey was the featured dish of the night. They are fished in the Gironde River between December and May when they swim into the river from the ocean to spawn. They are considered a delicacy here as Lamproie Bordelaise. A stew made with lamprey, leeks, and a combination of the blood of the lamprey and red Bordeaux wine for the sauce. After enjoying my first Lamproie Bordelaise, it struck me that we were eating lamprey in early October, long after the season for lamprey was over. I was told that this lamprey Bordelaise was cooked before hand, frozen and reheated for tonight. That might seem counterintuitive but what really surprised me was to hear that it was cooked three years ago and then frozen. It is considered to taste better as it ages, similar to wine. Unbelievable!
After our lamprey course, we were entertained by a group of actors that night who performed satirical skits based on the wine business in Bordeaux. They would entertain us between each course that evening. The next course was grilled beef de Bazas. The beef from these cattle, raised in Bazas, a small agricultural village just south of Bordeaux are know for their grey coat and fine meat. The beef was thick cut and grilled over grape vines. It was served with melted shallots, roasted potatoes and of course, freshly picked cepes. Dessert was an elaborate chocolate tart that tasted great but seemed a bit out of place since all the other courses were traditional southwestern dishes. I parted late that night, belly full of food and wine, and mind full of French history and culture.
Day 6: October 1, 2006
We did not get back to Christophe’s place until 2:30 in the morning last night. We all had a good sleep. Sunday is for family time, and Dennis and I were fortunate enough to be invited to Christophe’s parents house in Merignac for lunch. Chritophe’s father, Philippe Chateau, was anxious to meet us and share some of the bounty he brought back from Spain. Philippe, like his son, is a gourmand who travels to Spain frequently for vacations. He always brings back meat and game bids. This time he brought back a thick cut of a dry aged Spanish strip steak, jamon Iberico and 14 grouses. He also had a nice cut of shell steak that he bought at the market in Bordeaux for us to compare the Spanish meat with. He grilled the steak rare-medium rare over grapevines in his backyard grill. We enjoyed the steaks with cepes cooked with garlic and parsley and a tomato salad. Dessert was a tart au citron. I felt like family.
After lunch had finished, Philippe brought out his box of Cuban cigars for Dennis and I as well as 18year old Armangnac. We sipped our digestifs, smoked Cohibas and listened to some of the adventures Philippe had during his world record breaking motorcycle trip around the world. He made it around the world on his BMW motorcycle in just 80 days. I only wish I am this ambitious when I am Philippe’s age.
Day 7: October 2, 2006
Today was the day of the big dinner Dennis and I planned for Christophe and his 10 guests. We started some prep the night before, but we would not be back to the house to start cooking until later that afternoon. Although we were anxious to get things in place for the dinner, we were easily distracted by the great Chateaus we would visit that day. We were going to Premiers Cotes de Bordeaux.
Our first stop was at Château de Plassan where we met owner and operator Gilles Brianceau. His father had bought the Chateau and still lives there while they continue to improve the grounds. The chateau itself looks like a country villa belonging to a wealthy family in Tuscany. Gilles gave us a great tour of the winery as well as the entire grounds of the estate. He was particularly proud of the brand new sleek designed pool that was put in the back of the Chateau. Like many winemakers in Bordeaux, he has inherited the business and has applied more modern techniques to the wine making process.
Gilles brought us into his tasting room for a vertical tasting of Chateau de Plassan. Gilles prides himself not only with an exceptional 2005 vintage, but more importantly with making a decent wine from a difficult vintage like 2004. Great winemakers are those who make good wines during bad times. After our tasting, Gilles brought us out to see the tractors returning with the botrytis inflicted grapes. These are white grapes, usually semillon or sauvignon blanc that are left on the vine until they start to develop, a “noble rot.” The water content of the grape is reduced and the overall sugar content increases exponentially. He showed us how he can measure the sugar content or degrees brix with a handheld meter by squeezing a little jus from the grape onto the probe and waiting for the meter to register. He will make a sweet wine from these grapes.
We thanked Gilles for his hospitality and looked forward to seeing him later that night at Christophe’s house for dinner. Hopefully we could return the favor tonight. From there we drove over to Chateau Lamothe, my favorite Chateau of the trip. This ancient Chateau is perched up on limestone cliffs which contain multiple caverns where the wine of Lamothe is aged. We were greeted by Anne Neel, owner and mother superior of the chateau Lamothe, her daughter Maria and her husband Damien Chombart. It was a glorious and warm sunny morning and it seemed like the entire property was glowing as Damien walked the grounds with us. He showed us the winery, with the recent merlot pressings being pumped into the several immaculate stainless steel tanks. He explained that unlike the majority of his competitors wines, his main client base was outside of France, mostly American and Korean.
Damien went on to explain the different wines that Chateau Lamothe produces every year, both white and red. We walked down the driveway to the cave entrances at the foot of the limestone cliffs. As we entered the caves, we instantly felt the temperature drop and experienced a brief relief from the warm sunny air outside. These were the perfect natural cellar for his wine. Damien said the caves had been around since the 15th century but have continued expanding to accommodate the increasing storage area that Lamothe needs. This brief journey into the cool, dank and ancient caves at Lamothe was truly an exceptional experience.
 We were lucky enough to be invited to dine with Damien, Maria and Madame Neel for lunch out on their beautiful terrace. The setting was perfect as we sipped Lamothe Blanc Cuvee Valentine 2004 and snacked on some canapés. Madame Neel had prepared her famous tart aux saumon aux et endives for the first course. She said the recipe was famous because the American cookbook author Linda Dannenberg had published it in her book, French Tarts. Madame Neel was nice enough to give both Dennis and I a copy of the book. We had superb filet of beef, pomme de terre puree and sautéed cepes. After a wonderful cheese selection we were treated to Maria’s dessert of floating angels. Everything was extraordinary and I did not want this lunch to end, lucky for me it lasted almost three hours.
Damien insisted that when he traveled to New York for business, that we would have to have lunch in the city with him. Of course I look forward to the opportunity of hosting him someday in New York. With heavy thanks we parted company with the lovely people at Chateau Lamothe and headed to our last stop before heading back to Bordeaux for our big dinner. Christophe brought us to a vegetable and herb farm close to Lamothe called Legumes Obliques. At this unusual farm, they specialize in growing rare, heirloom and forgotten varieties of vegetables and herbs. We walked around the show garden with the owner and sampled some of the herbs and vegetables that are new to me. Interesting enough, they do not sell their produce fresh, instead the majority of it is preserved through confiture and sold to specialty stores and restaurants throughout France. Although Dennis and I could have stayed there for the rest of day, exploring the unique bounty of the farm, we were anxious to get back to Bordeaux and begin our preparations for the dinner at Christophe’s that evening.
Dennis and I had come up with a menu that we believed honored the local products that were in season in Southwestern France, something Jean Louis would have done. We really wanted to impress Christophe and his guests as well as demonstrate our skills in the kitchen. For that evening we prepared the following menu for Christophe and 11 guests.
Menu at Christophe Chateau’s house
- Amuse bouche of warm chestnut soup with foie gras stuffed fig
- Pan seared cepe incrusted royal dorade with friccasse of roasted cepes and patty pan squash, port wine reduction
- Sauteed veal sweet breads with a Dijon emulsion and pickled root vegatble salad.
- Pan roasted Spanish grouse with foie gras and semillon grapes, sauce salmis.
- Hazelnut encrusted baked brie with peach and berry confit
- Mille-feuille with caramelized bananas, crème patisserie and raspberries.
Christophe and his guests thoroughly enjoyed their meals that evening. They all wanted us to join them at the table, but Dennis and I insisted that we rather focus our attention in the kitchen. We got to enjoy a glass of 1996 Chateau Margaux Vin Rouge with them after dessert was served. Dennis and I were happy to live up to our reputation as the “grand chef Americains.” As the guests left and thanked us for dinner, we finished the mess we had made in Christophe’s once pristine kitchen, looked at the clock and realized that it was two in morning. It was a late night, but a very good night indeed.
Day 8: October 3, 2006
Our final full day in Bordeaux with Christophe started a bit late because of our late night before. During the late night and early morning, a wind storm ripped through the Gironde region and caused some minor damages. I was awoken early that morning to the sound of wind speeding through my open bedroom windows. We rushed to get our things together, we were to meet a group of American journalist at the Maison du Vin in Blaye for a Bordeaux tasting that Christophe was conducting.
Traffic was backed up getting out of Bordeaux that morning due to some of the repairs being made from the storm. We made it to Blaye just in time for the tasting in the Maison du Vin tasting room. In the tasting room each desk was equipped with a faucet, light projector and tasting glasses for the session. It was nice to meet all the American journalists who were just starting their trip in Bordeaux as I was finishing mine. We told them some of our favorite experiences from the trip and memorable meals. Needless to say, we had a lot to talk about.
After the tasting, we joined the journalists on a trip out to Chateau Rousselle in Blaye. Vincent Lemaitre is the owner and head winemaker of Chateau Rousselle, a mid-sized estate in the hills of Cote de Blaye. He gave us a formal tour of his facility, all the while showing us how making wine can be really fun. One of the things I really liked about his operations was the fact that he had seven concrete fermentation tanks that were all named after a different dwarf from the Disney classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He even had a picture of each dwarf on the front of each tank with the equivalent French adjective.
We enjoyed lunch with the journalists in the Vincent’s Chateau where we got to sample his wines. His wife had prepared coq au vin and country pate for all of us. During the lunch, I tried to get an idea from the American journalists of what they thought of wine production in the states compared to here in France. I heard several different views from them, but they all seemed to agree that my experience here in Bordeaux is extremely valuable. I would have to agree with them.
Once lunch had finished we thanked Vincent and his wife for their hospitality and set off for our final Chateau of the trip. We traveled out to Chateau Bertinerie, further out in Premier Cotes de Bordeaux. One of the biggest vineyards we had visited with almost 60 hectares. Eric Bantegnies is one of the head winemakers of the Chateau and he greeted us into his wine dark facility. The entire facility had lost power due to the storm last night so we were given a tour of the immense winery by candlelight. A paradox to visit one of the most technologically advanced wineries in Bordeaux and squinting in the dark by candlelight.
Eric explained that they use the “lyre” technique of growing and cultivating their vines. This new technique forces the vines to grow in a v-shaped from. This method provides the vines with more direct sunlight which is thought to provoke development of smooth tannins, a desirable quality for red wines. The winery and overall facility had just gone through a major renovation and was one of the nicest I had visited. We went down to the main cellar and saw 8-10 rows of barrels, maybe 100 yards long, all illuminated with small candles. It was a once in a lifetime sight. We had a short tasting with the journalists led by Eric. I found the wines interesting because they were more tannic than most other reds we had tasted. At that time, I felt that perhaps a few more years in the bottle would produce a smoother wine.
Christophe took Dennis and I to Le Chapon Fin that evening for dinner. Although Michelin had awarded Le Chapon Fin with one star in their 2006 guide, Le Chapon Fin was one of the first restaurants in France to receive three stars in 1933. This is a very special restaurant because the space has operated as a restaurant since 1825 and has been a favorite of celebrities during its apex in the pre-WWII France. The current chef, Nicolas Frion is a young highly esteemed chef who worked with Thierry Marx before taking over the kitchen at Le Chapon Fin. The three of us decided to leave our menu decisions up to Chef Frion that evening and were very pleased with all his selections for us. It was the most formal dinner we had during our stay in Bordeaux, but I don’t consider it the best. The best dinner I had was at La Tupina. So good that I asked Christophe if we could go back one more time for lunch tomorrow, before we leave Bordeaux.
Day 9: October 4, 2006
Last day in Bordeaux and it was raining hard out. We spent the morning packing our bags, which were now twice as heavy because of all the great bottles of wine we planned on smuggling back home with us. Christophe was nice enough to sell me a bottle of 1996 Chateau Margaux Vin Rouge from his private cellar for half its worth, a real deal. The rest of the bottles I was bringing back were donated to us on behalf of our gracious hosts from the different Cotes in Bordeaux. I would have liked to bring back more, but I just could not fit them all in my already overflowing pack.
After saying our thanks and farewells to Sophie and the kids, we loaded the van one more time and headed down to town for lunch at La Tupina. Chef Jean Pierre was not at the restaurant because he was in Greece with his daughter. We had a wonderful farewell lunch with Christophe at La Tupina. I savored my tournedos of duck with a shallot cream sauce as my final Southwestern French meal. During our lunch, I told Christophe that I was interested in pursuing an opportunity to work here in Bordeaux at La Tupina. I think he was flattered by my enthusiasm to return to Bordeaux. Christophe was an exceptional host and provided us with an experience that would never have been possible without his hard work. I am happy to say that I have not only made a great business contact in France, but more importantly a great friend.
On our way out to the airport that afternoon, I began to look back on my experiences from this last week. I realized that I had absorbed a lot and have grown tremendously in such a short time. The pictures, the wine, the souvenirs and all my notes were coming back with me to New York. I am sure I will treasure all these items for months and even years to come after this trip. What made me happiest was the fact that my memories of tastes from this trip will last me a lifetime. I will always remember the carbon dioxide smell from wines fermenting at the many Chateau’s we visited, the unique meaty and earthy flavor of fresh cepes, Lamproie Bordelaise and the anise spiked taste of crevettes from the Gironde. I will never forget the smooth and complex flavors of Bordeaux wine made from the heart. These thoughts comforted me as I said goodbye to Christophe and Bordeaux.
I now realize how important Jean Louis Palladin influence on American chefs has been. Providing the opportunity for the young cook to go to the foundations of cuisine, gain a bottom up perspective and better appreciation of how all the elements come together to make something incredible on the plate. I have only scratched the surface here, only begun to see the big picture that Jean Louis Palladin has painted. Thank you Chef Palladin.
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