Welcome to the Bluebeard Bordeaux Experience Booking Page!

Your idyllic retreat:

Crafted to resemble a picturesque countryside village straight from a vintage postcard, your hotel boasts hidden treasures waiting for you to discover.

Begin at the Vinothérapie Spa, the birthplace of Caudalie's renowned grape-based beauty products. Meander along pathways, framed by bursts of wildflowers and the tranquil lakeside, leading you to the inviting bar Rouge, where you can leisurely sip and savor the fruits of house wines.

Opt for a leisurely bicycle ride through the vineyards or connect with nature discovering the art of Forest Bathing.

Your guide:

With over two decades of experience as a 'flying wine educator,' Wendy Narby has been a conduit for Bordeaux's latest wine developments.

She shares her knowledge with trade professionals and passionate wine enthusiasts across Europe, Asia, and the USA. Her mantra, which we wholeheartedly embrace, is that knowledge enhances the pleasure of wine.

Wendy has been leading tours across Bordeaux for more than 15 years.

Your program:

Representing the pinnacle of innovation in wine touring in Bordeaux, this program has been curated to transform wine lovers into connoisseurs.

This is the only Bordeaux wine tour that offers the best of classic Bordeaux with the pioneers of the industry to help you discover the places and people that make Bordeaux so captivating.

It also allows you to connect with the challenges and innovations that drive winemakers to new heights.

•  Pre Tour Orientation Reception with wine and snacks at Bluebeard
• 5 nights at Les Sources de Caudalie, double occupancy
•  Buffet breakfast each day
• Welcome Reception with Jan Bugher, sommelier
• 4 dinners including 2 gastronomic dinners with prestigious premium wines, mineral water, and coffee
•  3 VIP private wine tasting experiences at Cos d’Estournel, Haut Bailly and Pichon Baron
• 3 lunches ( two included with VIP wine tastings above)
•  Air-conditioned, luxury motor coach transportation throughout
• All VIP chateau tours and tastings
•  The services of a professional wine expert guide (Bordeaux specialist) throughout the tour, a special Bordeaux masterclass with one of the most regarded Bordeaux wine authors
•  A packet of wine-tasting information, including articles on the Bordeaux wine region
•  All taxes, baggage handling, and restaurant gratuities Price per person, double occupancy: US$7550.00 Single supplement: US$8500.00 (smaller room) SPACE IS LIMITED TO 14 GUESTS | JOIN THE TOUR TODAY! To reserve your space: please fill out the enclosed Reservation Form

What's not included:

1. Airfare ( assistance is available please contact Jennifer Miner)
2. Round Trip Airport Transfer ( assistance is available to book please contact Jennifer Miner)
3. Trip Insurance (Information and insurance available please contact Jennifer Miner when booking for details. PLEASE NOTE INSURANCE IS TIME SENSITIVE YOU MUST PURCHASE WITHIN 14 DAYS OF YOUR BOOKING)
4. Any meals or excursions not outlined above.

Itinerary:

• DAY 1, Monday WELCOME TO LES SOURCES DE CAUDALIE D One of the most beautiful hotels in the region is your home for the next six days: 5* Les Sources de Caudalie just outside of Bordeaux. Meet the other members of your group and your guide Wendy Narby. Faces will be familiar as we will have a Bordeaux pre-tour  meet and greet at Bluebeard a couple of weeks prior to the trip. Discover the onsite winery and the first of your many great tastings in Bordeaux. Join Jan Bugher, your tour master,  for a pre- welcome dinner  glass of wine  at Rouge Brasserie (on property.)  Enjoy a private welcome dinner featuring local specialties and exclusive vintages of the estate follows.

• DAY 2, Tuesday MARGAUX~PAUILLAC-ST. JULIEN B, L Today we explore the Médoc, world-renowned for its Classified Growth chateaux, following the “Route des Chateaux” through the famous villages of Margaux, Pauillac, and Saint Julien. Insider moment: Your first tour and tasting will be at a Chateau Marquis d’Alesme as their VIP guests in Margaux. Recent vintages are reasonably priced and impressively complex, propelling this formerly overlooked estate into the spotlight. The wines are poised to become long-lasting gems, easily rivaling wines at much higher price points. Continue towards Pauillac, the best-known Bordeaux appellation with three first great growths out of five: Chateaux Lafite, Latour, and Mouton-Rothschild. Magic moment: a private wine-tasting lunch at one of our favorite estates, Super Second Chateau Pichon Baron in Pauillac. Uncover the history of the estate, its connection to Chateau Latour, a dowry, how inheritance laws confused wine lovers with a sister property, and why the insurance industry has been key to the estate’s success in the 21st century. Your meal will be served in the dining room of the chateau, paired beautifully with the library wines of the estate. Slightly less powerful than Pauillac and less rustic than Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien wines are harmonious and well-balanced red wines. A stop at a classified estate awaits you after lunch. One might expect Bordeaux, with its long history and lofty reputation, to be a staid environment. But the region is facing change. Corporations are invading, styles are shifting, and markets are wary. Yet at its core, Bordeaux remains about terroir and tradition. Discover an estate that epitomizes the best of classic Bordeaux: character, elegance, and age-ability. Following an extensive day of touring and wine tasting, relish some leisure time for dinner on your own and relaxation, gearing up for another day of exciting exploration ahead.

• DAY 3, Wednesday GRAVES~SAUTERNES B, L, D Head to Péssac Léognan this morning, and find an insider favorite overlooked (for now) by many. The estate is one of the only six classified growths both for its red and white. Its wines are well known all over the world amongst the very best wines in the Pessac-Léognan appellation. This property has been on a roll for the last 10 years, making great and near-great wines every year. Curated Connections: a private wine-tasting lunch at Chateau Haut Bailly with noted Bordeaux author Jane Anson. This was one of the first estates we visited over 16 years ago, and one of our favorite wines and wine experiences. Veronique Sanders, Director of Haut Bailly, sums it up perfectly: “The different aspects of the business are brilliant: agriculture in the field, biochemistry during the vinification, architecture with the renovation of our buildings, etc. And on top of that, we love to meet people. We have the luxury of working in an environment where people love wine, love life, love culture, love many things. We are privileged to spend our time meeting amazing people who share our passion. It’s part of our life and it’s a wonderful life.” After lunch, we venture to Sauternes, the world’s most famous dessert wine appellation. Insider moment: This tour would not be the same without a visit to Chateau Giraud. Wendy and her husband held a stake in this esteemed estate, and her anecdotes about their involvement will provide you with a vivid glimpse into the world of chateau ownership! This is what we live for: creating stories for you that bring the wine to life. Return to your hotel late afternoon and meet up early evening for small plates and wine pairings at the wine bar.

• DAY 4, Thursday SAINT-ÉMILION~POMEROL B, D You have earned a later start this morning! Enjoy all the beauty the hotel property has to offer. Then head east, across the Dordogne River, to the Right Bank of the Garonne. Merlot is king on the Right Bank where we find the appellations Saint-Émilion and its satellites, Pomerol and Lalande-de-Pomerol. Discover the lovely medieval village of Saint-Émilion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and enjoy free time on your own for lunch. Then have an up-close look at one of the great First Growths such as Château Figeac or Troplong Mondot with a tour and tasting. After, explore the other prestigious appellation of this area, Pomerol. This tiny appellation is considered the world’s preeminent terroir for Merlot, producing wines of great character and complexity. You’ll visit one of the finest estates here. Curated Connections: Small plates with a chateau owner for dinner Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a winery owner? Meet a friend who is an inspiration; late to the wine business but hitting it running. Originally from Britain, she lived in France for 28 years before moving to full time to Bordeaux in 2018. Enjoy a small plates collection that pairs beautifully with her wines for your dinner. Come with curiosity, and leave as friends. Back to the chateau mid-evening.

• DAY 5, Friday MEDOC~MICHELIN MEAL~MAKING MEMORIES B, L, D Your last full day in Bordeaux deserves moments even more special than those you have experienced, and we have saved one of the best for last. Magic moment: a special wine-tasting lunch at Château Cos d'Estournel in St Estephe. This château was once famous for being a slice of Arabian Nights in the middle of the Médoc, but that attraction has now been overtaken by the breathtaking modern winery. The gleaming stainless-steel winery – behind a glass walkway –has made Cos a talking point in recent years. Cos, as it is affectionately known, is a wonderful visit with wines of high regard. Next visit the village of Bages, home of Chateau Lynch Bages for free time for shopping or to see the newly renovated cellars of Chateau Lynch Bages. Return to the château for time to relax before dinner. Insider experience: Your final gala dinner will be at the 2-Michelin Star Restaurant La Grand Vigne of the hotel, with some very special vintage Classified Growth wines, including older vintages specially chosen for the group of some of the best wines Bordeaux has to offer.

• DAY 6, Saturday DEPARTURE DAY B Your tour ends after breakfast on your own this morning. Continue your journeys with fond memories of Bordeaux and its entire splendor! Connections to Bordeaux's illustrious wine scene, new friends, and a nature-filled memory bank are souvenirs for a life well-lived.