Bordeaux- Château Guadet, Logis de La Cadene & Château Canon La Gaffelière
Day two of the Bordeaux wine tour was also my birthday and it was absolutely perfect. We began in Saint-Ėmilion, an amazing medieval town on the Right Bank of Bordeaux with breathtaking views and one of our favorite winery's of the trip Château Guadet.
This small vineyard is one of only two wineries in the heart of Saint-Ėmilion and owned by the famous Petrus wine family. The vineyard consists of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc grapes, merlot being the prominent grape grown on most Right Bank properties.
We started our tour upstairs to learn about the cement vats used to vinify their wine. Then we took a steep ladder down to the massive cellar, where miles of limestone quarries had been created for storing wine. This was easily the best part of any wine tour I've experienced. The cool, dark caves winding beneath the Château were astounding to behold; it was almost an entirely new city underground.
Our tour guide Bruno took us through seven wonderful wines from both his winery Château Guadet and others in the area. We all agreed Bruno's passion for Bordeaux and wonderful wines made this the best stop of the entire trip.
After the tasting we trekked up to the highest hilltop in Saint-Ėmilion where our fabulous wine guide Lea surprised us with macarons and champagne, just for my birthday!
Some gifts for the table to begin including decadent Foie Gras Lollipops, crispy warm Potato Pockets and a round of freshly baked bread.
Amuse Bouche~ Salmon Rillette dressed with salmon jus.
Octopus Two Ways, carpaccio and braised in a clear sauce of lemon peel oil, young fennel, aniseed fennel sorbet
Truffle “Tuber Uncinatum” from Guillaume Ge served in a risotto with melted Parmesan cheese
Squab "Marie Le Guen" cooked in three ways with roast potatoes stuffed with French peas and romaine lettuce coulis
Breton Lobster medallions of Arnaud Tauzin, raw and cooked vegetables and lobster bisque studded with garlic.
Palate Cleanser~ Lemon & Cherry
Dessert~ Strawberry Mara des Bois with vacherin cheese, creamy coconut, strawberry confit and Mara des Bois sorbet
Chocolate cube guanaja, iced milk cream, caramel Jivara and peanut nougatine (Happy Birthday drizzled on the side) and to finish an assortment of chocolates and petite fours for the table.
We finished out our afternoon with a tour at Château Canon La Gaffelière, a beautiful winery dotted with roses around each and every corner.
Then it was back to the heart of Bordeaux for a relaxing last night in the city.
It was an absolutely incredible birthday! I am certainly one lucky lady.
Chateau Guadet
4 Rue Gaudet
33330 Saint Emilion France
Logis de la Cadene
3 Place du Marche au Bois
33330 Saint Emilion
This small vineyard is one of only two wineries in the heart of Saint-Ėmilion and owned by the famous Petrus wine family. The vineyard consists of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc grapes, merlot being the prominent grape grown on most Right Bank properties.
We started our tour upstairs to learn about the cement vats used to vinify their wine. Then we took a steep ladder down to the massive cellar, where miles of limestone quarries had been created for storing wine. This was easily the best part of any wine tour I've experienced. The cool, dark caves winding beneath the Château were astounding to behold; it was almost an entirely new city underground.
We then stopped into the barrel room and continued into the town to a small wine store for a tasting.
Our tour guide Bruno took us through seven wonderful wines from both his winery Château Guadet and others in the area. We all agreed Bruno's passion for Bordeaux and wonderful wines made this the best stop of the entire trip.
After the tasting we trekked up to the highest hilltop in Saint-Ėmilion where our fabulous wine guide Lea surprised us with macarons and champagne, just for my birthday!
Then it was off to lunch at Logis de la Cadéne, a Michelin stared restaurant located at the base of a steep, cobblestone covered road.
They offer an incredible €39 lunch each day with appetizer, entree and dessert along with their regular full sized menu. Half of our group decided upon the Menu Marche while the other half (including Mr. T and I) went all out for the €75 Signature Menu.
Some gifts for the table to begin including decadent Foie Gras Lollipops, crispy warm Potato Pockets and a round of freshly baked bread.
Amuse Bouche~ Salmon Rillette dressed with salmon jus.
Octopus Two Ways, carpaccio and braised in a clear sauce of lemon peel oil, young fennel, aniseed fennel sorbet
Truffle “Tuber Uncinatum” from Guillaume Ge served in a risotto with melted Parmesan cheese
Squab "Marie Le Guen" cooked in three ways with roast potatoes stuffed with French peas and romaine lettuce coulis
Breton Lobster medallions of Arnaud Tauzin, raw and cooked vegetables and lobster bisque studded with garlic.
Palate Cleanser~ Lemon & Cherry
Dessert~ Strawberry Mara des Bois with vacherin cheese, creamy coconut, strawberry confit and Mara des Bois sorbet
Chocolate cube guanaja, iced milk cream, caramel Jivara and peanut nougatine (Happy Birthday drizzled on the side) and to finish an assortment of chocolates and petite fours for the table.
This spot was amazing in every way, from the beautiful setting to the incredible food and service. We couldn't have picked a better birthday lunch.
We finished out our afternoon with a tour at Château Canon La Gaffelière, a beautiful winery dotted with roses around each and every corner.
Chateau Guadet
4 Rue Gaudet
33330 Saint Emilion France
Logis de la Cadene
3 Place du Marche au Bois
33330 Saint Emilion
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