We had 'un staff' over Friday. People from Gloucester DC mostly, plus some from Theale and several over from Connecticut. Now THAT is dedication: flying from the US for just two days in Bordeaux, then back. Those will be tired people by now!
Nobody sleeps much on 'un staff' you see … Just 36 hours in Bordeaux, Médoc, St Emilion, Castillon, lots of wines to try... what's the point of sleeping?
Anne who leads these (they were her idea) took them first to visit Labegorce in Margaux. It’s right next door to/contiguous with Château Margaux but got left out over some wrangle when they were dishing out Classifications: a real Laithwaite-type producer. Then Rauzan-Segla with John Kolasa; a Brit who first came to Bordeaux – St Emilion – the same year I did. Our paths didn't cross till much later. He stayed fulltime. Ran Latour at one point.
Tom and I were to join the group but we got a visit from Tony Jordan instead. The Doc was staying at Cheval Blanc (for whom he is working on something exciting in China), so he and Michelle popped over. He'd had a look at our UK vineyards; Windsor, Marlow, Wyfold earlier in the week. Gave us a good mark – not something The Doc gives lightly.
Anyway, we showed them around La Clarière, Le Presbytere and Verniotte, plus a new vineyard we are buying just down the road. Then a visit to Le Chai where they ran into James; winemaker of Hunters of Marlborough who is working his second vintage with us. Tony is consultant to Hunters so they know each other well.
They joined in Bernadette's last Harvest Lunch (steak Bordeaux style with shallots and cooked over vine embers... Oh! OH!) … and then flew off. (Tony is the original Flying Winemaker and still lives the role). He wants me to go to these remote Chinese mountains with him, says I'll be amazed.
So that evening I finally caught up with Le Staff at L'Envers du Décor in St Emilion for a noisy evening. We took over the place except for one table and that was our NZ flyer at Le Chai James and his grandparents visiting from Italy where they now live. I apologised for the racket but doubt they heard.
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