Wine Tourism: Bordeaux Off & On the Beaten Track

I just got back from Bordeaux, where I found some classic wines and some less common ones as well. 

Last time I was in Bordeaux, I stayed in the city of Bordeaux for a few days. During that trip, I focused on some typical producers in the Right Bank and Graves while also highlighting some off the beaten track producers. 

This year, we spent a whole week in the Medoc with my wife’s family.  Therefore, I focused more on the Medoc, but was also limited in how many chateau tastings I could go to since we were focused on eating and drinking with family, which is ultimately what being a wine lover is all about. 

Here are some facts, highlights and tips from my time there.

Exploring the Bas-Medoc 

The Medoc is the northern part of the Left Bank, north of Bordeaux city and west of the Gironde river with the Graves being on the Left Bank south of Bordeaux city. The Medoc has almost all of the 1855 Classified Growths, and almost all of those are in the top 4 famous appellations of (south to north) Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe. These appellations and the areas slightly to the north, west, south and between them are considered the Haut-Medoc (upper Medoc), which is also a regional label for the southern Medoc wines sourced mostly outside the the big 4 Medoc appellations.   

However, many don’t know about the Bas-Medoc (lower Medoc), which is confusingly the northern part of the Medoc, north of St. Estephe. Wines from the Bas-Medoc are labeled as “Medoc” on bottles even though “Medoc” also describes the whole region. This area gets less press because historically it’s known for producing lesser wines, in large part due to its cooler weather, being closer to the estuary where the Gironde meets the Atlantic. With climate change and better winemaking, many producers here have upped their game and their wines better fit today’s trends of early drinkability. 

Given that driving from Bordeaux city to even just St. Estephe will take over an hour, I don’t think enough winelovers make it as far as the Bas-Medoc. That’s why it was great to stay in the heart of the Bas-Medoc. We stayed in the town of Queyrac, which is nicely positioned in between the Atlantic and estuary of the Gironde.  There are two wineries within walking distance: Chateau Carmenere and St. Hilaire. The latter is more classic with famous consultant, Eric Boissenot. Of course, I decided to visit Chateau Carmenere because it’s more off the beaten track in that they focus on Carmenere (more on them below). 

Queyrac is also close to other wineries in the Bas-Medoc as well as only 30 minutes to St. Estephe and Paulliac, so I tasted some wineries in the Haut and Bas-Medoc (more details and notes below).

On the Atlantic side, you have to check out the Montalivet Beach and market, which is only 18 minutes away. They don’t have the large dunes that you find further south, but the daily market is the perfect place to taste the local oysters with Bordeaux white wines. There’s also a nudist colony for those so inclined. On the other side is the estuary, where you can check out the Richard Lighthouse and the fishing huts. Here, you can book a fishing trip too. 

Off-the-Beaten Track Bordeaux Whites       

Besides the Medoc in general being a great place to look for bargain, ready-to-drink Bordeaux, I continue to see the trend of Bordeaux producers outside the Graves or Entre-deux-Mers starting to make white wines, which is a growing category internationally. I just posted about a Chardonnay made in the Right Bank, but I also encountered lots of whites in the Medoc. Some are high-end Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blends made by top producers like Pichon Baron, Cos d’Estournel, Duhart Milon, etc., but there’s so little made and they’re so expensive, so I wasn’t able to taste any. Nonetheless, as I always say, the benefit of visiting a region is to have access to the cuvees that often don’t make it out of the region like whites, sparklings and roses of red wine regions or vice versa. I was able to taste some reasonably priced Medoc whites and roses (see tasting notes). 

In addition to traditional Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc whites, more and more producers are producing still blanc de noirs whites and even trying out other varieties. For example, I found a demi-sec Chenin Blanc from a producer 15 minutes from our place in Queyrac in the Medoc. 

St. Estephe 

St. Estephe among the big 4 appellations is probably the most underrated. It’s historically been known for rustic, tannic wines but they’ve improved a lot. It’s the least built up for tourism, and perhaps it relatively gets less visits because it’s the furthest from the city of Bordeaux. However, we checked out two up and coming wineries here as well as the Maison du Vin in St. Estephe, which gives free tastings, sells bottles from just about every label in St. Estephe (some are back vintage stuff) and offers advice for tastings. They also have a good list that shows all the St. Estephe wineries, if they’re open for visits with or without reservations and if they cost money.

Pauillac 

Pauillac has more to offer in terms of restaurants and stores. We tried to drop in for a tasting at Duhart Milon, which is a good winery to choose because they don’t require an appointment and they don’t have a chateau to visit, so you can just taste their wine for 15 euros. They are owned by Lafite and their vineyards are next to Lafite, so it’s a way to get a taste of Lafite without the price tag. However, I recommend you go earlier in the day since by the time we got there, they couldn’t fit any more tastings. 

Speaking of which, another trend which has continued since we were last there two years ago and changed greatly since I first went to Bordeaux 15-25 years ago is how more and more wineries are charging for visits/tastings, especially among the classified growths in the Left Bank and Crus on the Right Bank. It’s also frustrating that the websites aren’t quite clear if they charge or not and what they consider a professional when they consider offering you an appointment. This happened with me when I enquired about Pichon Baron, which ended up being a whopping 50 euros to visit and taste (although still cheap compared to Napa tastings). It’s actually better to just walk the grounds, which they let you do, and go to their store and use that money for a 4 person visit to buy a bottle for your next dinner. However, I should mention that often the Chateaux sell their wines at a higher price than what can be gotten at a major wine shop in France or outside of France who sell a lot of Bordeaux.  

Here is a good guide that shows which wineries charge and how much along with wineries that offer accommodations, restaurants, etc. although many of the high-end cru classé wineries are not included: https://share.google/5Ag5rbuY86kYQMCPp (this is the 2025 version of the Destination Vignobles en Médoc).

More off the beaten track was visiting the Maison du Tourisme et du Vin in Paulliac, which offers free tastings on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons along with a shop that carries a lot of Medoc labels. At the tasting, they had at least a dozen producers showing their wines. All were from the Medoc region, ranging from a classified growth Pauillac to many smaller unknown Medoc producers. They also featured older vintages, so they were wines you could pick up and drink with your meal during your stay. 

Overall, some wineries at this tasting and in our visits feature slightly older or lighter vintages that are better for drinking now while others like to show off their younger top vintage wines that need time to soften up. I like it when wineries feature both, so you can choose one for the cellar and one to drink now. 

Winery & Tasting Notes

I wasn’t always able to take extensive notes or give scores at each tasting, so you mostly get my general impressions. Another generalization I had tasting all the wines is that the 2017 and 2021 vintages are drinking well now and are great with food while you have to wait for the better vintages in the last 10 years like 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022 to soften up or have them with something meaty. 2014 was great especially in the northern Medoc, and they made the best drink now wines of the older vintages we could find.  2010 is also drinking well at least among the Cru Bourgeois level wines. Overall, you don’t always have to splurge on the big vintage especially if you’re looking for something to drink now while a great vintage might also be a way to save money by trying out less famous producers who produced better wines than normal that year.  

Visit & Tasting at Chateau Loudenne Medoc

This winery just north of St. Estephe is perfectly located along the Gironde. You can picnic here and even take a river cruise. The pink chateau stands out as well. In terms of the wines, I came here for their well-priced white which comes from the estate and gets its salinity from its proximity to the Gironde. They also make a rare 100% Malbec and some of their wines are Bio. During the high-season, tastings are free without reservations.

2017 Le Chateau Blanc 

We ended up buying a case of this for our meals, so I got to spend more time with it. You get the oak and savory side on the nose. Nice texture, medium bodied but good acidity and minerality. A touch of oyster sauce. A bit spicy. Grapefruit. Touch floral. None of the Chilean green notes. Comes from the estate, which is right along the Gironde. Mostly Sauvignon Blanc with some Semillon. 92

2022 Le Chateau Rosé Bio 

Merlot. Floral, smooth. Medium acid. A bit spicy. 

2017 Le Chateau Rouge 

50/50 CS/Merlot –  nice balance overall of oak and red and dark fruit. Soft tannins but still present. Medium+ body.

2018 Bellerive 

58 % Merlot – 30 % Cabernet Sauvignon – 10 % Cabernet Franc – 2 % Petit Verdot. Impressive nose. More intense. Floral with oak notes well integrated. The palate is darker though, more tannic and less fruity than the Loudenne Le Chateau Rouge, which was more open to drink now.

2020 Malbec in Medoc Vignoble Gouache 

100% Malbec. Fruity, violet, easy drinking. Soft. Lighter than most Mendoza Malbec. Medium-low acid. 

Visit & Tasting at Chateau Petit Bocq St. Estephe

This is a small and relatively new winery with plots all over the appellation. Their consultant is also Eric Boissenot. This was a great way to get a personalized visit and taste some solid, modern Bordeaux for free. You just have to reserve before. They were nice enough to give a barrel sample tasting of 2024 too when I asked about the vintage. 

2024  Chateau Petit Bocq Barrel Sample 

Super tannic, oaky, a touch herbal, savory but you get the fruit on the backend. Medium-low acid. Dark fruit. Chalky. Good length. But tough to drink now with the tannins and dormant fruit.

2017 Chateau Petit Bocq

Nose of vanilla, coffee and tobacco but also floral, purple fruits. Medium-full bodied with soft texture but the tannins still gripping on the backend. Medium-low acid. The 2017 is more austere than the 2021 but it could be in an inbetween stage. 

2021  Chateau Petit Bocq 

More fruity and elegant overall but similar flavor profile. Tannic but already softer than the 2017. A little more length. 

Maison du Vin St. Estèphe Wines Tasted

2019 Tour de Pez St. Estephe

More oaky and spicy on the nose. But the palate has more fruit and more acidic and tannic structure. 35% new oak.

2018 La Croix de St. Estephe  

2nd wine of Le Crock, which is owned by Leoville Poyferre. Oak more Integrated on the nose but I get it more on the palate. Most tannic so far but round. Licorice. Most savory on the palate. 

2020 2 Pez St. Estephe 

Already easy to drink, soft, floral and fruity with a touch of spice. 35% new oak. 

2015 Lilian Ladouys St. Estephe 

Already evolved on the nose with tobacco, leather and dry fruit notes. Also on the palate but less so. Medium acid. Still tannins for further aging.  Fruity overall. 

Visit & Tasting at Chateau Phelan Segur St. Estephe

It costs 35 euros for a visit and tasting with reservation. The grounds are huge and beautiful. It’s along the Gironde (although it looks further away than at Chateau Loudenne) and they have a nice man-made pond out front and beautifully decorated aristocratic rooms inside.  They also rent out their place to have lavish dinners with their own personal chef.

It’s a winery that’s been receiving higher and higher scorers often beating out classified growths. They’ve also been changing and experimenting with their winemaking. They now use medium toast, thin grain wood. Their wines spend around 18 months in 55% new barrels for the Grand Vin. They’re experimenting with Carmenere, Malbec and amphora aging. Since 2020, they’ve been making their own culture of yeast from their vines, so it’s partially natural yeasts but controlled. There are different strains per variety and parcels. They’ve reduced the amount of sulfur used too.

Despite not being a classified growth, the owner in the 19th century before the Phelan family bought it was Nicolas Alexandre de Segur, who also owned what is now Latour, Mouton, Lafite and Calon Segur. Therefore, it has a high pedigree, and it’s not surprising that a Belgian investor paid a lot for it in 2017.  

We tasted 3 of the vintages of their Grand Vin. All 3 bottles were just opened, so perhaps they needed more time. 

2016 55 CS, 45 Merlot – Has the acidity of the 17 but even more tannins on the 18, and elegant feel but with the savory side showing more with the fruit still rather asleep at the moment, but slowly opens up. But the secondary notes shine through. This needs more time or a long aeration but has the most potential. 92+

2017 65 CS, 54 Merlot, 1 CF – Lightest, higher acid, A touch herbal. This is what I want to drink now without food. It’s softer and fresher though most preferred the 2018. 91

2018 57 CS, 43 Merlot – Was the biggest, darkest with highest alcohol which still shows on the palate. Chocolate, tobacco. Relatively soft tannins though. This is to drink now with a big steak or age for more complexity. I think the initial heat on the palate was because we had the curry for lunch but it faded after. 92+ 

Maison du Tourisme et du Vin Pauillac Tastings 

2014 Beauvillage Cru Bourgeois Médoc Nose is starting to get tertiary notes like mushrooms. The palate is super soft, low acid, dark fruit starting to be more dried fruit. A touch of heat. Some tannins but fine with food. 55 Merlot, 45 Cabernet S.

2012 La Cardonne Medoc A little riper and spicier. Nose also evolved but not full on tertiary. 

2015 Griviere Medoc Nose more evolved and open. Palate is similar to the Ramafort. 

2014 Ramafort Medoc High acid. Fruity. Not much nose. 

2017 Prelude Grand Puy Ducasse Pauillac  Fruity nose with mild sweet oak notes. Red and blue fruit. The backend is a bit bitter. 

2014 Grand Puy Ducasse Pauillac 5th Growth Pencil shavings and tobacco with bright fruit and still present tannins. This is a prototypical Pauillac.  Best wine of the tasting, not surprisingly. 

NV Le Petit Baron Blanc de Noirs Cab/Merlot from 2024. Juicy, fruity. But fresh. Medium bodied. Peachy.

2023 Haut Baron Le Petit Verdot Haut Medoc 100% Petit Verdot. Vegetal, dark fruit. Low acid. Fairly ripe though. Petite Sirah like. Tannic too but not as much as I thought it would be given the age.

2021 Haut Baron St. Estephe Floral with a bit of herbs. Smooth palate. Touch of heat. Low acid. Still gripping tannins but will be fine with food. 

2020 La Rose Pauillac Some graphite. Fresh palate and smooth entry but the tannins still suck your cheeks. Fruity palate at this stage. 

2014 Haut de la Becade Paulliac Tannins mostly resolved but still feel its presence. Still primary. More evolution on the nose but the nose is not as intense as the La Rose. 

2019 Chantelys Medoc Pretty smooth and fruity but the tannins come at the end. 30 Merlot, 20 Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet S. Something funky in the background but it fades. Traditional, hands off winemaking. Used oak. 

2010 Soudars Haut-Medoc Good acid, still super tannic. Some evolution into tertiary notes. 50 Merlot, 49 CS, 1 CF. 25% new oak. Located close to Pauillac. I bought this one for dinner, so the purchased bottle with steak was already more evolved on the nose and the tannins are resolved with food with the acidity helping to keep it youngi-ish on the palate and less tertiary than the nose. 91

2010 Verdignan Haut-Medoc Quite similar to the Soudars but even more primary and fruity with less evolution. More tannins. 70 CS, 25 Merlot, 5 CF. Located close to St. Estephe. I bought this one for dinner too. Like the Soudars, the purchased bottles were a lot softer and evolved especially with food. This still has more structure and dark fruit like during the tasting while the Soudars is softer but both are in their drinking window with steak. Both showed the classic structure of 2010 but also some of the ripeness of the vintage. 91

2012 Coufran Medoc 85% Merlot; Lower acid, softer. Shorter. Some evolution on the nose. The Soudars and Verdignan have a lot more structure still. Another Eric Boissenot consulted wine. North of St. Estephe in any area with a lot of clay, hence the Merlot. 

Chateau Carmenere Tasting

This is a family estate. The old family label is Laubespin with the son starting the relatively new Chateau Carmenere label in 2006. He admits that Carmenere can be difficult to grow unlike in Chile, and they generally only use it as part of a blend albeit larger percentages than the few other wineries that do use Carmenere.  However, they do have a more expensive 100% Carmenere called Audace. They also make a sparkling and a still Blanc de Noirs. I thought the Petite Reserves were both the best to drink now with the 2020 being riper, and the 2022 showing more acid and herbal notes from the Carmenere and Cab. 

2023 Laubespin Classique Medoc No wood at all. Quite savory though, light but also fruity. Plus acid. 50/50 Merlot and Cab. 

2017 Laubespin Medoc Oak, chocolate influence, spicy. Still with plus acid. More body. 60 Merlot, 40 CS. The average vine age is 35 years old. But light and fruity compared to the Chateau Carmenere reds.  

2020 Chateau Carmenere Petite Reserve Medoc Get the oak, but bigger and darker. But still with good freshness. Still tannic. Needs food and air. 62 CS, 27 Merlot, 11 Carmenere. 11 months in French oak. Purchased bottles were excellent with the magret de canard with the structure helping with all the fat and so that the fruit can shine. 

2022 Chateau Carmenere Petite Reserve Medoc A lot higher acid, herbal, a lot more savory, more red fruit. Lighter. Still tannic but not as much as the 2020. 59 CS, 30 Merlot, 11 Carmenere. Around 11 months in French oak. Average vine age 33 years old. 

2021 Château Carmenere Medoc Grand Vin Darker, most tannic. Still rather simple at the moment. Oak is well integrated. 57 CS, 27 Merlot, 16 Carmenere. Not sure if it needs time or it’s just the weaker vintage. 

2022 Audace 100% Carmenere – Also aged in oak. Medicinal, herbal, eucalyptus, licorice. Sort of Ricola like on the nose. Moderate tannins. Not the fruitiest or freshest compared to the other reds but otherwise balanced on the palate. 

NV Laubespin Rosé 80/20 CS/Merlot – Floral, candied watermelon and strawberry. Light. 

NV Laubespin L’Arlequin Methode Traditionnelle  Rosé sparkling. Not much nose. Frothy, dry, medium acid. Touch of toast on the palate. 

NV Laubespin Le Blanc de Laubespin 100% CS Blanc de Noirs. 6 months in barrel. Get some oak on the nose, but otherwise dry, tangy, fruity. 

Random Bordeaux Wines Tasted

2024 Château Moulin de Peyronin Bordeaux Blanc 

Wine served with oysters at Montalivet Beach, but the winery is based in Entre Deux Mer. 55% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris. Not much nose but also served very cold. The palate is fresh, citrusy and cleansing but still lower acid than say most Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and without the complexity of the pyrazines. More neutral. Perfectly go with oysters. 

2021 La Paroisse Haut-Médoc 

Medium-bodied and already easy to drink. Plus acid. Classic. Not deep or complex but good for immediate drinking. 

2017 D’Agassac Haut-Medoc 

This one has more fruit but also on the easy drinking side with good acid but darker fruity side the other Haut-Medoc has less of. Probably more substantial structure when younger but the other was already at the same level of texture despite being 4 years younger. 

2006 Clos de l’Eglise Lalande de Pomerol 

Nose is fruit dominated but on dried fruit side with a touch of tertiary, mushroom notes. The palate is smooth with all its tannins resolved, medium+ acidity medium-bodied, some of the same dried red and dark fruit with a bit of secondary note spice left. Don’t think it’ll improve anymore unless you want full-on tertiary with less fruit. What you’d expect from a decent 2006 at this stage. 90 

2019 Le Jardin de Queyron Pindefleurs Saint-Emilion 

An oak driven wine, but quality sweet oak with enough ripe fruit to not make it over the top. Smooth. Easy. Lowish acid. 

2023 Chateau Livran Blanc Vin de France (Demi-Sec Chenin Blanc) 

From Saint-Germain d’Esteuil in the Medoc. According to their website, they decided to produce this white in 2022, which was 99% Chenin Blanc and 1% Chardonnay. A third was harvested late to give it some sweetness. It also had some oak and acacia aging. It also has an interesting 500ml bottle featuring a stained glass church image. The store labeled this as 2023 but there’s nothing on the bottle or wooden box which shows the vintage, so not sure if this is the first or second vintage. The nose features white floral and typical wet wool notes of Chenin. White fruit. Some spice. No botrytis I could tell. Plus acid. Demi-sec but more on the dry side than sweet, so wouldn’t pair it with really sweet desserts. Something like an apple pie or with spicy Asian foods would fit best. Sort of Gewürz-like. No cork. Glass plug. 13.5% alcohol.

2023 Domaine In Ventis Le Vif du Sujet Gaillac (not from Bordeaux but also from the Southwest of France and unique)

100% Prunelart (Prunelard), native of Gaillac and parent of Malbec and I can see the resemblance. Dark fruit (prunes) and chocolate/coffee notes. Lower acid. Medium+ tannins. Medium+ bodied. Somewhat herbal and medicinal too. Licorice. Tobacco. Supposedly only 10% of this grape is allowed.