Bordeaux Superieur

Day 2

We leave the city alongside the Garonne river and soon enter the fabled wine lands of the Medoc, passing through all the major appellations such as Margaux and St Julien before staying near Pauillac for the night in a working chateau hotel. Passing such luminous names as Lafite and Latour, you may see the grape harvest in full swing during our September departure.  The ‘maison du vin’ in Pauillac gives an insight into the wines of the village and we enjoy a wine tasting at the vineyard right next to the hotel. (68 km / 42 miles).

Day 4

From Blaye we take some really lovely roads through some of the lesser known (but arguably better value!) appellations of Blaye and the Cotes de Bourg. It’s slightly hillier on this side of the river but by no means hard cycling. Leaving here we enter Pomerol, home of Chateau Petrus,  and continue past Cheval Blanc and Chateau Figeac to St Emilion, a beautiful town of red tiled houses and a church built into the rock. With Roman origins, this is one of the prettiest towns in France. For those interested the ecole du vin runs a short two hour course on the basics of wine tasting. (68 km / 42 miles).

Day 6

The last day in the saddle takes us through the vineyards of the sweet white dessert wines, through Barsac and on to Sauternes where Chateau d’Yquem is passed. There is every chance they may be harvesting here during our September / October departure; every grape is picked by hand and they make multiple trips through the vines to pluck each one at the optimum moment. The mist which causes the ‘noble rot’ may well still be in the air, making this an evocative scene. In the village of Sauternes itself there is an opportunity to try the wines of the area. After this it’s time to head back to Bordeaux following the direction of the river with frequent glimpses of it. (76 km / 47 miles).