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A very happy Ronald after tasting the Chateau Ausone 2022
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A Personal Note From Ronald,
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It is not often that you get two of my Newsletters in the same week.
Earlier I sent you my Left Bank tasting notes. Today my focus is the Right Bank.
The Bordeaux vintage 2022 is a great vintage on both banks.
And I can’t recommend this vintage enough for your wine cellar.
The wines were very accessible already on futures. And they will have a great ageing potential.
Some people enjoy their wines younger, others (like me for example) prefer some age on the bottles.
Both types of wine lovers will find a tremendous amount of pleasure in this vintage.
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Today the focus is on Saint Emilion on the Right Bank
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Great weather for all
In my Newsletter I focus on the First Growths (or former First Growths in Saint Emilion).
And indeed they outperformed.
The good news is that the sun didn’t stop shining at the limits of these First Growths.
Almost all properties in Bordeaux benefitted of this excellent vintage.
Franck Doermann, a very good friend of mine, owns a chateau in our village.
His appellation is Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux, a far from prestigious appellation.
His Chateau Pascot is small with a vineyard of 3ha (a little over 7 acres).
By default, all work is done by hand and the wines are very good.
Obviously his wines are no challenge to Lafite…(but neither are his prices at 10-15 €)
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Let’s not forget that Pomerol is on the Right Bank as well. Chateaux like Gazin produced outstanding wines too
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Bordeaux 2022: Go for it
Without going to deep into this small producer, I am trying to make a point here.
In all great vintages Franck outperformed as well with his Chateau Pascot.
And his 2022 rocks as well on his level.
2022: great wines at all levels
The point of this story being that with the 2022 you will be able to find great wines among the less renowned properties as well.
Do you need more recommendation? Well, just go for it.
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Small producers outperformed as well in 2022
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My wine of the vintage 2022
Each and every year I try to find a wine that stands out for me.
At first, I thought it would be difficult to pick just one, because they are all so good.
And then I went to Ausone.
Of course, I knew that Ausone made great wines.
I have been tasting these great wines for 20 years on futures now, but honestly, this 2022 beats everything I have tasted so far on futures.
Maybe even ever.
So, no doubts, no discussions: Ausone 2022 is definitely my 2022 Wine of the Vintage!
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Ausone 2022: definitely my 2022 Wine of the Vintage!
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Go for it: One last room for September 2023
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Why not take hold of the last room on the September Bordeaux Grand Cru Harvest Tour? (following a cancellation).
Previous guests called this: “A romantic, never to be forgotten, put it on your bucket list experience.“
So, we are actively looking for one fun wine-loving couple or friends to join us on this -what our guests call- “an experience of a lifetime.”
Keywords: Small, fun, educational – highly recommend!
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Enjoy a daily Chateau Lunch
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2024 Tour program filling up fast
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Planning on traveling next year? Then check out our 2024 Bordeaux Wine Tour program here.
Scott and Sue toured with us before. And they came back to us and took the entire tour with their friends. And this is what they wrote afterwards
“We were so happy to come back to your wonderful chateau and Tour. We loved the chateau visits, the delicious food and of course Ronald’s commentary!
This tour is one of the best we have ever been on… which is why we came back with our friends.!”
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Scott and Sue: “This tour is one of the best
we have ever been on!”
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Ronald and Margaret love to share
their passion for Bordeaux with you
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Bordeaux 2022: Right Bank
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Chateau Ausone 2022,
Saint Emilion
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The vineyards of Ausone dominate the region as do the wines
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Ausone was one of the first to drop out of the new classification of Saint Emilion.
I can reassure you; the wines haven’t suffered.
On the contrary, Alain Vauthier produces a wine that keeps dominating the wines from Saint Emilion.
And it does so in the same way as his chateau dominates the village of Saint Emilion.
Ausone 2022 is definitely is my Right Bank Wine of the vintage.
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Alain Vauthier: “A lot has changed since my first vintage“
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Chateau Cheval Blanc 2022
Saint Emilion
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Cheval Blanc left the classification, but the wines remain outstanding
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Like Ausone, Cheval Blanc left the classification.
And like Ausone they are a mere AOC Saint Emilion.
Not even a Saint Emilion Grand Cru (the Saint Emilion equivalent of Bordeaux Supérieur).
I tasted with Pierre-Olivier Clouet, Cheval Blanc’s technical director.
Pierre-Olivier commented on the high temperatures of the vintage: “If you are a chef you can switch of the fire in your stove, the only thing we can do is to remove the pan from the fire.”
Of course, he meant choosing the harvest date.
He is worried about the future: “Even if the wines are outstanding, looking at the temperature graph of the last decades we are worried and we see this as very bad news.”
That the wines are outstanding I can vouch for, even without a Classification.
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Ronald tasting with Pierre-Olivier Clouet,
Cheval Blanc’s technical director.
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Chateau Angelus 2022
Saint Emilion
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Wine still remains a family affair at Angélus
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Unlike the previous two chateaux that dropped out of the Classification, Angélus kept the basic Grand Cru designation.
Angelus has taken the habit of naming their vintages.
The name they gave the vintage 2022 shows their confidence.
The name they chose is: “the Majestic.”
That this confidence paid off you can read in my tasting notes.
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Angélus 2022: the Majestic
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Chateau Pavie 2022
1er Grand Cru Classé “A”, Saint Emilion
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Pavie 2022: a lot to celebrate with a special bottle
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Still 1er Grand Cru Classé “A”
Pavie is the only chateau from the previous classification that stayed within the Classification and still carries the predicate 1er Grand Cru Classé “A”.
The chateau at Pavie is a modern building with a classical look from the outside.
Maybe this was done to keep in style with their wines that tend to follow a more modern style of wine.
In 2012 Pavie had a special label to commemorate the coveted “A” on their label.
2022 is the 25th vintage of the current owner Gérard Perse.
To celebrate Pavie 2022 will be sold in a very special bottle that was on display for the first time during the futures tastings.
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The commemorative bottle for the Pavie 2022
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Our 2024 Bordeaux Wine Tour Program
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Because you want a Bordeaux Wine Experience and not “just a tour”
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A master-class on tasting Classified Growths marks the
start of each of our Bordeaux Week Tours
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The Bordeaux Grand Cru tour
This is probably our most exclusive tour. This ultimate wine tour for Bordeaux lovers is as good as it gets.
Can you believe that you’ll taste all five First Growths plus Superior First Growth Chateau d’Yquem including some older vintages! Of course we include the best of Saint Emilion and Pomerol as well.
Add to this outstanding meals at exceptional venues not normally open to the public and you’ll see why this tour usually sells out early.
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The Bordeaux Grand Cru Harvest Tour
The Harvest Tour is Grand in every way, both in food and wine. Enjoy chateau meals and Michelin rated dining.
The most exciting time in Bordeaux is harvest time. You can sense the anticipation in the air.
And the food is superb as well: Exclusive meals at extraordinary venues not normally open to the public.
On top of that you’ll taste all five First Growths plus Superior First Growth Chateau d’Yquem and many of them will be older vintages!
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Bordeaux in full harvest swing
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Not for everyone
It is true: Bordeaux and its wines can seem a bit intimidating at first. Don’t worry, on this tour Ronald and his team will guide you through all this like an insider. Remember: we tour prestigious estates, not pretentious people. You’ll develop a preference for “Left-Bank” or “Right-Bank”, while visiting some of the best chateaux in the world. Our tours are both entertaining and informative. Some of our guests already know a lot about Bordeaux and its wines. For others a tour serves as a top-down introduction to the fascinating Bordeaux Wine World. Whatever your background, we can guarantee that you will have a great time.
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At Superior First Growth Yquem
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Intimate, not intimidating
We combine a down-to-earth approach with a great sense of humor. And we prefer nice people on our tours. Pretentious or obnoxious people: please stay away! We’re serious about this because it is a personal, intimate experience (i.e. with us), filled with a lot of fun, so there is no time or energy for jerks… So please only join us if you are a nice person who likes wine and want to learn more about the intriguing Bordeaux wine world and want to taste the best wines in the world while having a fun vacation.
Click here for our Tour Schedule.
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Culinary highlights and great fun!
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A Food and Wine Experience
Although this Bordeaux wine tour seems to emphasize “just” on wine, we feel wine is best enjoyed with great food. That’s why we put as much effort into the planning of the meals as we do on the planning of the vineyard visits. Our Bordeaux Wine Experiences include memorable dinners in the best restaurants of the Bordeaux area. You will enjoy a dinner at a famous Michelin starred Relais & Chateaux Restaurant.
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A Farewell dinner like you never have experienced before
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Gourmet meals in venues not normally open to the public
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Culinary highlights
And there is more! You’ll never forget those gourmet meals in different Bordeaux Chateaux.
And if that is not enough, the Farewell Dinner will be at our Chateau Coulon Laurensac. Our private chef will prepare another wonderful meal for us that we’ll accompany by an impressive succession of library wines that have been aging in our cellar, including a First Growth from an older vintage and Superior First Growth Chateau d’Yquem of over 20 years old!
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2024 Bordeaux Wine Tour Schedule
(Open for booking)
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What makes our Bordeaux Wine and Culinary Tours so special?
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Exclusive touring: limited to six double/twin rooms and one single |
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Carefree and truly effortless travel in Bordeaux: We take care of everything, really everything |
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See and taste all 5 First Growths and Château Yquem! |
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Expert (and humorous) guidance by Bordeaux specialist Ronald Rens |
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Air-conditioned accommodation at our privately owned 18th century chateau |
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Taste more Classified Growths than on any other Bordeaux wine tour! |
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Grand Cru Farewell Dinner with all Grand Cru wines (including Chateau d’Yquem!) |
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Gourmet meals at Bordeaux Chateaux and a Michelin starred restaurant! |
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Grand Cru wines with all meals (except breakfast…) |
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Air-conditioned, luxury motor coach transportation throughout the tour |
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Great food and wine and a lot of fun in a small group |
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Chateau Coulon Laurensac, without a doubt the best place in the world to taste all five First Growths and Yquem…
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The Bordeaux Wine Experience
at Chateau Coulon Laurensac
1, chemin de Meydieu
33360 Latresne (BORDEAUX), France
Website : www.BXWINEX.com
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Call us:
1-877-203-2665 (toll free from USA & Canada) or
+33 556 20 64 12 (from anywhere else in the world)
(These lines go directly to our Chateau in Bordeaux so please remember that we’re on Paris time!)
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Copyright © 2023 by The Bordeaux Wine Experience. All rights reserved. The content, design and graphical elements of this Magazine are copyrighted. The Bordeaux Wine Experience is a Dutch company specializing in wine and culinary tours in the Bordeaux region for an English speaking international clientele.
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