Many wine lovers, particularly the better-heeled ones, appreciate expert guidance and tailor-made arrangements while visiting the wine châteaux of Bordeaux. The energetic Cazes family of Ch Lynch Bages fame run Bordeaux Saveurs with this express purpose, organising trips not just to their own properties. Sylvie Cazes-Regimbeau, Jean-Michel Cazes’s sister sent me this information in response to a recent query. They cannot be faulted for enterprise, and Pauillac sorely needs a good café brasserie. It should be overwhelmed during the primeurs tastings in April:
We do indeed organise luxury wine tours with Bordeaux Saveurs. The best information is to be found on our website www.bordeauxsaveurs.com
There’s also a short summary of the various activities that we include below. Of course, Ch Cordeillan Bages [the Pauillac hotel restaurant in a restored chartreuse] is our major and most well-known activity. Thierry Marx has been recently awarded "chef of the year" by the Gault Millau guide, with a 19.5 mark. We now own the Chapon Fin in Bordeaux where Nicolas Frion has one Michelin star. We develop cooking classes and wine courses through our Ecole du Bordeaux, and receive a number of guests at Ch Lynch Bages for exclusive lunches and dinners.
We also organise a contemporary art exhibition in the Lynch-Bages old vat cellar from May to October. Last year was a retrospective of the Czech Jiri Kolar, and this year we are discussing with the German Gunter Forg.
Bordeaux Saveurs offices are located in the centre of Bordeaux. We have a team of four agents who provide luxury wine tours for individuals or small groups, amateurs or professionals. These wine tours include our own establishments and a number of parallel activities to enjoy the art of living of our region. Mary Wakefield, whom I think you know, is in charge of welcoming Anglo-Saxon visitors. She will give you all details on the various propositions:
tel +33 556 00 90 20
Finally, in Pauillac, we have started renovating the village of Bages. Our bakery the Baba d'Andrea provides traditional breads. In front of the bakery, by mid-February, we will open a café-brasserie, Le Café Lavinal, and soon afterwards a boutique with wines, gifts, such as table accessories, reflecting the spirit of Bordeaux Saveurs, as outlined below.
Château Cordeillan Bages (Pauillac) ****Hotel & Restaurant
In the heart of the most prestigious vineyard of the world, this 18th century « chartreuse » houses a charming hotel, member of the Relais & Châteaux group. 24 rooms, 4 suites, a 25 meter outdoor swimming pool, fitness room and sauna make Cordeillan Bages an ideal base for your holiday combining relaxation and vitality.
Thierry Marx, « espoir 3 étoiles/ 3 star hopeful » with Michelin 2005, unveils for you his inventive yet subtle cuisine, inspired from local Médoc produce (Pauillac lamb, estuary fish, game…) both in the restaurant and in his cooking courses.
Château Lynch Bages (Pauillac) – vineyard
Grand Cru Classé in the heart of the Médoc, Château Lynch Bages is open to visitors year round for cellar visits and tastings in several languages. Each year, the 19th century wooden vat room houses a contemporary art exhibition open to the public from May to October.
At Lynch Bages, as well as Château les Ormes de Pez (another Cazes family property), we also welcome you and your guests for lunches or dinners in a convivial and elegant atmosphere.
The Ecole du Bordeaux – wine tasting school
The Ecole du Bordeaux invites all wine lovers, amateurs or professionals, to discover the Great Wines of Bordeaux. Competent wine professionals lead our tasting courses, covering varying topics such as the Bordeaux vineyards, serving and decanting wines or blending. Our experts can also accompany you throughout your evening, organizing for groups, wine lectures, games, blind tastings and much more… To help you discover the pleasures of wine tasting, the Ecole du Bordeaux offers you three locations:
· In the heart of Bordeaux, in a beautiful 19th century building,
· At Château Lynch Bages, in Pauillac,
· In any other location of your choice for enological animations.
The Chapon Fin Restaurant
The surprising rockery decor has played host throughout the 20th century to a range of political and cultural personalities. Discover today the inventive cuisine of Nicolas Frion, whose recipes vary according to the seasons and the market.
Every Wednesday and Saturday morning, Nicolas invites you to share with him a few of his secrets at the Chapon Fin Cooking School. The selection of the freshest produce, composing main courses, cooking and filleting, he will impart his knowledge of the finer details of this culinary art.
The Hamlet of Bages
Jean-Michel Cazes has undertaken the complete renovation of the hamlet of Bages, birth place of the wines of Lynch Bages and Cordeillan Bages, which had been all but forgotten for several decades. In the heart of this village, firstly he created a bakery, Au Baba d’Andréa, where one may find traditionally baked breads and cakes. The brasserie of the hamlet of Bages will open its doors to the public at the beginning of 2006. Consisting of a café and a brasserie, passing visitors to Pauillac will enjoy the opportunity to casually lunch or dine in this charming village.
Meeting rooms, bed and breakfast rooms, as well as a boutique offering the best wines of Bordeaux and divers wine accessories, will soon complete this ensemble and make the hamlet of Bages an inviting and necessary stop in the heart of the Médoc vineyards.