Very much enjoyed this experience. It was well worth the cost of the tour. Tasted several…read moredifferent wines and vintages. The wine was great and our host/guide (Aude?) was exceptional. We were fortunate that Pierre (technical director) was also present and it was fantastic to chat with him

Totally amazing experience!!!!…read more Must try. Great tour with great wines. Super knowledgeable staff and super friendly service. Would come back. Totally worth the tasting fee!!! Please make an appointment in advance that way you can get in for sure.

5 star experience all the way through!!! Super friendly tour of the Chateau and extremely…read moreinformative!!! Great tasting wines for any occasion. Beautiful Chateau. Would definitely come back for sure. Cannot thank you enough for the generous hospitality!!! Merci beaucoup!!!!!!!!

An affordable Bordeaux from Pauillac AVA (home to some of the most expensive wines in the world)…read more Emeline Borie, Co-Owner & Marketing Director was our hostess for a wonderful tour and tasting. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste produces about 12,000 cases of wine in an average year from 90 acres of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon.

If you make an appointment in advance, you'll be able to get a tour in English to check out Pontet…read moreCanet. Chateau Pontet Canet is classified as part of Fifth Growth in the Bordeaux Wine Classification of 1855 (Pauillac's appellation), but Pontet Canet is at times better than the other wineries that's classified first, second, or third. Today's tour (Sept 2014) included a tasting of their 2007's vintage and a view around their vineyard, VAT, Cellar, and tasting room. The best part is that the tour goes in depth about the history and their operational point of view of Pontet Canet. Plus, the tour and tasting is free! Pontet Canet also invented (patent pending) on their new VAT, which reminds of Big Hero 6 from Disney! Pontet Canet's wine is a bit pricey and there's a reason why....certified organic and biodynamic! Overall, Pontet Canet is a must stop to check out how the wineries are changing their ways back to biodynamic with a lighter touch to the vines. Perhaps it's because of Pontet Canet's drive is the reason why they recently lost their AOC status for their second label. Or perhaps, it's wine politic? Who knows and it's quite unfortunate! Regardless of status, I was thoroughly impressed by their passion, keep up the good work Pontet Canet!

Really great tour and really great wine. 5eme 1855 cru but one that has dared to change. They are…read morecompletely biodynamic and innovating in all areas. You will know their 2005 which got a near perfect Parker mark. This was the second year they started their organic process. Their 2007 is nice which was the first big challenge to the process. Good tour, great wine. they have a loyal customer.

This is I believe the only officially classified Cru Artisan winery in the Pauillac appellation…read more It is not a commercial business built for wine tourism as it is a small outfit but they make a nice and uniquely flavored wine. It is only open to wine tasting in the evening after 3:30pm'ish (they don't go by exact times) and we had to go to the grape sorting room to ask one of the workers to contact the proprietor. It has no noticeable sign so you just have to trust it's there on the corner and walk around the premises a bit. A portly man appeared and he spoke almost no English (and zero Japanese) so we had to communicate with limited English and sign language. :) He was a typical country person who wasn't overtly friendly like city folk but genuinely friendly and very accommodating. He offered up a glass from an already opened 2007 bottle which was good but we wanted to taste another vintage (2006) so he opened up another bottle. I ended up buying the 2006 vintage (unfortunately didn't have anymore 2005) for a very reasonable price. They make a wine that I can't quite describe. It's unique with a bit of power but also balance. Never tasted anything like it before. I was glad to have tried out this place as it wasn't one of the larger wineries where you can get their wine everywhere. Would recommend it to anyone who is willing to adventure out of the norm for a unique bottle of wine.

Fantastic! Make this a start of every weekend! Great great great!. Closes around 2pm and the fresh…read moreproduce and home made bread vendors run out early so get and get on it!!

Awful. We reserved and paid for a private tour (which they very coldly collected immediately upon…read morechecking in, without even a proper greeting!); yet we were stuck in a group tour. The feel is extremely corporate and cold - nothing like the warmth of much of the rest of the region. The wine served for the tasting was quite young and tight. Also very pricey. Lunch in Bages was very nice, but skip the winery tour!

Château Lynch-Bages, a Fifth Growth château in Pauillac, was the first stop on our tour of châteaux…read morein Bordeaux. The tour was informative and our personable guide spoke excellent English. It was a beautiful château with a winemaking facility and operations that nicely blended its past with the present. Unlike most other châteaux, Château Lynch-Bages showcased its history by maintaining its original winemaking operations as a museum. The culmination of our tour was the wine tasting. We tasted the 2007 Château Lynch-Bages and a 2007 Château Ormes de Pez (owned by Lynch Bages), a St. Estephe. It was a nice ending to our visit.

I discovered a new wine from two of the south bay's bests, the Basin and Manresa. Pineau des…read moreCharentes is a dessert wine made from Saint Emlilion (or Ugni Blanc) mixed with Cognac. It has a great golden color and has a great fruit finish. If you're looking for something with the essence of a Tokaji or Sauternes without the price tag, a Maison Brillet Pieneau will do the trick.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild, a First Growth château in Paulliac, was the second stop on the day's…read moreschedule of visits. However, it was clearly the highlight of the day. Note: Tours are by appointment only. Our guide spoke excellent English and effectively provided insight on Lafite Rothschild's unique terroir (a term that was discussed at every château we visited) and described in depth its winemaking process. While the winemaking operations and facilities were pretty comparable with other minor châteaux, its cavernous cellar was definitely an impressive sight to behold. The best part of the tour was its culmination, the tasting. We were offered a generous pour of the 2001 Lafite Rothshchild. To which I could only say, "Yes, please."

Our private guided tour was very personal and informative…read more As one of the largest vineyards in the Médoc, Chateau Lafite Rothschild is 110 hectares (260 acres) and spread across a very good slope. The name "Lafite" derives from the meaning "small hill" and the small hill is located in the rear of the beautiful château. The different grape varietals are planted according to the condition of the soil: estates with heavy soils plant more Merlot and estates with gravelly, porous soils plant more Cabernet Sauvignon. The Ch.Lafite vineyard is cultivated with old vines of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% is Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. In Pauillac, Cabernet Sauvignon is king and the varietal gives the specificity and character to Pauillac wines. Ch.Lafite utilises 29 wooden vats, 20 stainless steel vats and 18 little vats. Typically, pumping over is twice per day for ~17 days and there are 20 days of maceration. Wines are matured 18 months in new French oak barrels: 7 months in a natural cellar and 11 months in the second-year chai, built under the supervision of architect Ricardo Bofill. The circular vault holds 2,200 barrels and is supported by 16 columns. The circular design is functional since racking, bottling and cleaning can be done with greater efficiency than a traditional, linear designed chai. As has been the tradition at Ch.Lafite, 100% of the Domaine's cooperage is done in-house in Pauillac. Ch.Lafite employs 6 full-time coopers to produce 2,000 barrels per year. This is adequate to supply Ch.Lafite and all the other estate-owned properties with new French oak barrels each year. The French oak is selected from the Allier and Nivernais forests, then left to dry in the open air for two years at Ch.Lafite before being crafted. Traditional racking is 5-6 weeks. 8,000 organic egg whites are used for fining. When asked why organic eggs were used, our host explained that it was for stability reasons in the fining process as opposed to any environmental concerns. Annual production is between 15,000 and 25,000 cases (or 180,000 and 300,000 bottles). At the end of our visit, we tasted the 1995 Château Lafite - which was superb.