The region where I live in France is a sizable, though little known, portion of Bordeaux (technically and administratively known, basically, as the ‘Gironde Département’) where wine prices are reasonable, historical intrigue is ample and day to day living is blissfully unrushed.

Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited this wine region of Blaye (taking boats from the city of Bordeaux for visits) on the right bank of the Gironde estuary. So has every king of France except one. Eleanor of Aquitaine (queen at different times of both France and England) also passed through here during the age of troubadours and female trobairitz (wandering minstrels who sang love songs) in the 12th century.

We are surrounded here by oceans of vineyards. There are several hundred around the towns of Blaye and Bourg, though it can difficult to discern exactly how many. The winemaker-sponsored website and literature about the Blaye—Côte de Bordeaux appellation neglects to number the wineries within the 12,900 acres (5,213 hectares) of vines. Bourg, which is smaller although in some ways better organized for international visitors, has 157 wineries (châteaux) within 9,800 acres (3,979 hectares) of vines, or about 15 square miles (40 square kilometers) of juice growing terrain.

Within these spaces, winery names can be disarmingly confusing. Many wine châteaux (which is the name of a winery here; singular is château, plural is châteaux) have similar names.

The team from Château Clos de Loup providing tastings at Blaye Printemps des Vins Festival this April

The effort of wine producers to distinguish themselves with striking originality in naming their brand is largely absent. Heritage appears more important than gaining a competitive edge. It is this attitude toward life that, though sometimes illogical, provides a sizable sliver of attraction for this region.

Looking at the estuary from Blaye Citadelle

For example—there’s Château Barbé and Château de Barbe, Château Nodot and Château Nodoz. There’s Château Lagarde and Château Roland La Garde. Château Monconseil-Gazin and Château Mondésir-Gazin. Château Bellevue and Château Bellevue Gazin. There’s Château Canteloup as well as Château Haut-Canteloup.

Most of these wine producers with similar names are veritable neighbors. Driving distances between the above listed pairs of wineries are: 3.8 miles, 4.5 miles, 3.3 miles, 1.4 miles, 0.5 mile and 0.5 mile.

Oddly, few locals appear confused. If you ask the difference between two like sounding châteaux, any local may walk to a window and point outside and inform you that over there is Château Barbé. He or she will then pronounce the two names slightly differently, with subtle tone and mannerisms implying that your linguistic deficiencies may be mildly heathen.

Should you dare mistake Monconseil-Gazin for Mondésir-Gazin, locals will likely shrug, shake mystified heads and query whether you enjoyed too many verre à vin last night?

It is now spring. Suddenly begins a parade of festivals: wine festivals, mountain biking and wine festivals, port festivals, music festivals, a black bass festival, an asparagus festival and a snail festival (which I tend to skip).

We recently had our annual Printemps des Vin de Blaye festival, where some 90 winemakers set up tastings in tents and ancient rooms in the local centuries-old Citadelle in Blaye. For a meager six Euros, visitors received an empty wine glass, a map and a pass that let them sample all the vino they desired for two days.

This is not a high cost or internationally renowned wine region. Yet I’ve tasted some local wines that cost between 7 and 15 Euros. Back in the U.S., some wines of the same quality might cost four times that amount.

Conviviality is key here. Friendless trumps marketing efforts.

Below is a visual tour of Printemps des Vins.

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The smiling sisters from Château Lagarde

Each year I taste several wines and compare quality and cost to determine overall value, using my proprietary Vino Value Algorithm.

Below are results for a few reasonably priced good wines, together with value score: Superlative, Excellent and Good Value. (Subjective scores for taste were factored in, although not shown below.) All wines listed in this table are worth drinking. Unless noted, all are red.

Vino Value™ Scoring of Selected Wines – Printemps des Vin de Blaye – April 2018
Winery Wine Retail Price – Euros Retail Price – US dollars equivalent Value Score
Château Nodot 2015 € 9.00 $11.07 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Domaine de La Valade 2015 Tradition Rouge € 4.50 $5.54 Excellent Value ♫♫
Domaine de La Valade 2015 Cuvée Prestige Rouge € 5.80 $7.13 Excellent Value ♫♫
Tour Saint-Germain 2015 Cuvée Tradition € 11.00 $13.53 Good Value ♫
Château Rose Bellevue 2015 Secret € 18.50 $22.76 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château La Motte de Lignac 2016 € 7.00 $8.61 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Jussas 2015 € 6.50 $8.00 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Capron (Cantinot) 2011 € 10.00 $12.30 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château du Vieux Puit 2012 Les Racines € 6.50 $8.00 Good Value ♫
Château Clos du Loup 2012 Le Louveteau € 7.50 $9.23 Good Value ♫
Château Florimond 2014 Réserve € 7.70 $9.47 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Haut-Terrier 2015 Élevé en Barriques Neuves € 11.00 $13.53 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Moulin de Prade 2014 € 5.00 $6.15 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Segonzac 2015 Vielles Vignes € 7.00 $8.61 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Les Margagnis 2015 € 7.20 $8.86 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château de Calmeilh 2015 € 6.00 $7.38 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Lagarde 2015 Excellence € 12.00 $14.76 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Les Bertrands 2015 Cuvée Vieilles Vignes € 6.50 $8.00 Good Value ♫
Château Les Bertrands 2015 Cuvée Prestige € 8.50 $10.46 Good Value ♫
Château Magdeleine Bouhou 2015 La Boha € 8.50 $10.46 Good Value ♫
Château Marquisat La Pérouse 2016 Cuvée Prestige € 8.50 $10.46 Good Value ♫
Château Morange 2015 € 6.00 $7.38 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Morange 2014 Vin d’Augustin Morange € 9.60 $11.81 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Monconseil Gazin 2015 € 7.80 $9.59 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Haut-Colombier 2015 € 7.50 $9.23 Good Value ♫
Château Haut-Colombier 2016 € 8.00 $9.84 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Haut-Colombier 2017 € 8.00 $9.84 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Grillet-Beauséjour 2015 No. 2 € 6.00 $7.38 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Petit Boyer 2016 Grand Réserve € 12.50 $15.38 Excellent Value ♫♫
Monsieur Stéphane Heurlier, renowned local winemaker
Sampling reasonably priced bubbly from Domaine du Cassard
Monsieur Eymas of Château La Rose Bellevue
The Wizard of Château La Cassagne-Boutet, Nicolas Vergez, once again commands an audience
A cooper demonstrates barrel making
Friends having lunch after tastings

Primeurs 

In contrast to our humble wine region, there are better known, and commensurately more expensive wine regions located nearby. Each year for a few weeks in spring, châteaux hold ‘En Primeur’ tastings of wines made from grapes harvested the previous fall. These events take place to our east, around Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, or across the water to our west, around and within the Médoc, Pessac-Leognan and Sauternes appellations.

My latest Forbes pieces are here, and include a synopsis of tasting some 100 Bordeaux wines during this recent En Primeurs week, and discovering the dual personality of that recent vintage.

Below are a few photos from some of the events to give you an overall flavor of how spring kicks in here in southwest France.

Chilean Rodrigo Sepúlveda Schulz takes time off from Luxembourg financial work to enjoy Primeurs

 

A warm smile from Margot from Domaine des Chevaliers

 

For lunch, a double magnum of 1999 Château Smith Haut Lafitte.

 

Hospitality Manager Alex from Château Smith Haut Lafitte…with four excellent wines

 

Gardens in spring bloom

 

Daniel and Florence Cathiard, generous owners of Smith Haut Lafitte

 

It is the Season…(isn’t it always?)

 

Lunch at Château Rauzan-Ségla

 

This 3rd floor tasting room within Château Haut-Brion includes only nine seats, surrounded by ample bookshelves

 

This olive tree on the grounds of Château Pape Clément was planted in the year 193 AD. It’s still a beauty!

 

Looking down the limestone escarpment from Château Pressac, at Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, near Saint-Émilion

 

Chãteau de Pressac (Grand Cru Classé) was purchased 21 years ago and renovated by Jean-Françoise Quenin

 

The 2017 Ángelus is a genuine winner

 

 

Clémence Collotte of Château Jean Faux shows a truly unexpected winning wine at an amazing price

 

Bordeaux wine author Gilles Berdin (on the left) enjoys international vintages from Bernard Magrez

Finally, a warm Thank You to Hubert de Boüard and Laure Canu from Château Ángelus in Saint-Emilion; Hélène Garcin-Lévêque and Patrice Lévêque from Château Barde-Haut in Saint-Émilion; Lahcene Boutouba of Clavis Oréa wine; author Gilles Berdin of Bordeaux; Florence and Daniel Cathiard of Château Smith Haut Lafitte; Thomas Hebrard and staff of U’Wine; Marie-Louis Schyler of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, and Soline Bossis from Château Mouton Rothschild.

The wine and food were wonderful, but your company was the true jewel of the En Primeurs week.

Thanks again for tuning in. The next posts will include wines from a few countries where you likely do not expect it…

This Post Has 0 Comments

  1. Excellent as usual. I’m adding the region to my ‘must visit’ list.

    1. Great! You will enjoy Alain, both as a wine drinker and wine author…

  2. An enjoyable read…must catch up if you are around next week?

    1. Ricahrd! Just saw this comment. Back in Blaye now, gone May 17th to 25th, then here first half of June. Let’s meet up if you are around to enjoy sunshine and wine….

  3. We loved Blaye & Bourg on our short visits to each on our Bordeaux river cruise a few years ago. 6€ is a real treat to be able to amble through & be able to choose between 90 vintners! Here in California, whether Temecula, Los Olivos, Paso Robles & Napa/ Sonoma you would be lucky to get one maybe two tastings for that price.

    1. Ah, very true. What they lack in commercial prowess here they make up for in charm and spontaneity….Glad you enjoyed Blaye!

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