The Classy Drunk, Part I: Chateau du Tailhas

Jean-Luc's ancient vines. Merlot grapes,  Paul Giamatti was wrong!!

In the past 8 years, I have visited Champagne, in France (twice), the Chianti/Brunello region of Italy (three times), Napa Valley in California, and most recently,  we went back to France for Bordeaux.  Do you see a pattern here? It looks like I plan my vacations at the LCBO.



Anyway, Bordeaux was great.  While we were there, we spent a day with a guide called Henri. Mango made this brilliant decision, and it was expensive, but so worth it.  We were a group of 5, and with a guide/driver, no one had to drink Perrier while watching everyone else get mildly hammered, and we gained admittance to chateaux that we never would have found otherwise.

We started referring to it as Chateau Tight Ass, which proves what a classy group I travel with.

Henri picked us up at 9 AM, and drove us to Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, in the Libournais side of the Bordeaux region.  We had been up late the night before, playing Cards Against Humanity, and guzzling Chateaux Margeaux, so with nothing but a hastily-grabbed chocolate croissant in my stomach, we began our day of epic wine consumption.

Henri's family owns a vineyard in the Loire valley, and he's a sommelier in his own right, so he had plenty of knowledge to impart.  I tried taking notes, initially, but after about 3 tastings, I gave up.  Our first stop with Henri was in Pomerol, at Chateau du Tailhas.

We were greeted in front of the chateau by Jean-Luc, the owner.  He took us out into his vineyard, and talked to us about grapes.  He had some 90 year old vines, interspersed with newer plantings.  Here's the thing about the town of Pomerol- there's no town, just a school and a church, because apparently the soil is too valuable to use for anything other than grape growing. (Side note: we drove back to Pomerol on our last day in the region, to take a look at the church; there were no people around, then suddenly a hobo appeared and asked us for money! "Non, désolé," I told him, and he wandered off, to where I am not sure.)

It was incredible to be so close to the production in a place that has been making wine for centuries, and to see it for what it is: a farming operation, at least at the start.  We were there about 2 weeks before the harvest, and Jean-Luc was in minor freak-out mode, hoping Mother Nature wouldn't screw him before he got the grapes off the vines.  He was so adorable, after we got home, I kept checking the web for French weather, and worrying along with him!

After our vine and production lessons, it was a respectable enough time to start popping corks.  We sampled the house Pomerol from 2 different years.  Both were so much better than what I normally drink, but the 2001 was smooth and complex, so I brought home a bottle.  To be honest, I don't know any more about wine than the next person, despite all these "educational" vacations.  I am trying to get better at identifying what makes a wine great, but mostly, I figure it out after the fact: if my glass is empty, I liked it; if I am nursing a wine, it isn't.

Tasting time.

Pétrus is the most famous chateau in Pomerol, but there was no way we were getting in there, and frankly, nothing I could afford anyway.  It was nice to visit a chateau that was family owned and run, and was an actual house.  When I served the wine to the FNGs, they were in heaven, just as I was in Bordeaux.  With our first buzz on, we headed on to Saint- Émilion, and our next winery of the long and wonderful day.

My Pomerol and me.