THIRTY SIX THOUSAND BOTTLES OF GRAND CRU

Living amongst the Bergerac vines we thought it was time to discover some of the better known and more expensive Bordeaux wines.

The Bordeaux tourist office organises all sorts of different visits to many of the 10,000 châteaux in the area. We plumbed for a morning tour of two châteaux near St Emilion – Le Vieux Maillet which produces the renowned Pomerol and Château Ferrand owned by the Bic family (of Bic pen fame) and which produces a fine St Emillion Grand Crus.

Before embarking on this guided tour we decided to stay close to Bordeaux at Libourne in a small hotel called L'Hotel de France. The hotel had been a former Relais de Post ( a coaching Inn) and it had a certain old world charm but our room, which gave onto a busy road, was small, dark and uncomfortable.

In the reception area I noticed a group of Chinese sitting at a low table littered with bottles of half empty wine. To my surprise, on asking them whether they were here to buy wine, they asked whether I would like to taste the wines they had chosen to market back in China. Their guide and interpreter was a Chinese lady called Fanny Antoine who had a commercial wine business in Libourne.

“Please come a sit with us and try our wines. Taste this one first. It's a 2004 Château Grangere Grand Crus St Emillion,” she said

Explaining that I was no expert but was here as a tourist, I tentatively took a sip.

“What do you think? Go on drink some more,” she said filling my glass.

It was without doubt the best red wine I had ever tasted. Smooth, full bodied, slightly sharp but, by the same token, rounded and mellow. I told her so.

“Yes. Very good. I agree,” she said.

“Good , yes, you like? Have some more,” the Chinese buyers chimed in unison.

This was becoming a bit embarrassing as I had nothing to offer in return. I resorted to congratulating them on finding such a good wine asking whether they were exporting this to China.

“You want to know the price we bought this Château Grangere?” asked one.

“ The price is fifteen Euros a bottle. But you wouldn't get this price in the shops. I did a deal with the château because my clients bought several thousand bottles. They have bought two crates for shipment to China.” said Fanny

“How much wine do you get in two crates?” I asked,

“Thirty six thousand bottles,” she said

.

According to Xan, who appeared to be the leader of the group, this huge sum would be divided into approximately a third Grand Crus St Emilion, a third Pymorol and a third Grand Crus Pauliac.

The Chateau Grangere St Emilion was expected to be sold in China for a the equivalent of £40 a bottle, the Pomorol 2005 purchased for 19 Euros a bottle for £60 and the 2009 Pauillac for in excess of £100 a bottle

“What about the rumour that the Chinese mix this expensive wine with coca cola?” I asked

“Yes that was before our people became more educated about wine . They mixed their wines with Fanta. That's because the Chinese have a sweet tooth,” he said

The Chinese buyers were off early to Paris the next morning and we set out for the Bordeaux Tourist Office to join our tour.

There were seven of us plus our guide, Sybil. There was a couple from Argentina and another couple from Brazil and a young Chinese girl who drank for China.

On our way to St. Emilion Sybil gave us a running commentary.

She told us that there were 10,000 Châteaux in the Bordeaux area with 57 different appellations. St Emilion, she said, covered 5,400 hectares. There were 70 Châteaux each one with approximately 7 hectares and 95% family owned..

In the 8^th century a monk named Emilion from Brittany chose to withdraw from the world in a place called Ascumbas (the town's original name). Emilion evangelised the local population and created what became a major monastic centre that his followers named after him.

The jurade of Saint Emilion, the appellations vinous brotherhood, can trace its roots back to a royal charter issued in 1199 by John Lackland, King of England. In exchange for these rights, England was granted the “privilege des Vins de Saint Emilion” This meant that that English merchants had priority over everyone else with regard to buying the wines of St Emilion

The Romans started growing wine there 2000 years ago but, according to Sybil, it wasn't very good because they mixed wine with salt water.

The first vineyard we visited was Château de Ferrand, a miniature version of Versailles, owned by the Bic family since 1978. This Grand Crus St Emilion is made up of 75% Merlot, 15% Cabinet Franc and 10% Merlot. soil is clay and limestone and the yield is 49 hectare litres for 1 hectare. They produce 18000 bottles a year and 10 vintages. We tasted a 2004 Grand Crus which I found had a slight Tanin taste.

The second vineyard, Château Vieux Maillet, was in the tiny Pomerol sector whose gravel, sand and clay soils produce a red wine distinctly different from its St Emilion neighbours. We tasted a 2004 which was rich and smooth priced at 32 Euros a bottle. Just up the road from Château Vieux Maillet our guide pointed out a Château producing the fabulously expensive Petrus wine. A bottle of 1947 Grand Crus sells for 10,000 Euros. A 2009 vintage goes for less – a mere 3000 Euros.