Laithwaite’s does Lafite

On the lawns of Lafite we pose in the bright sun, sip a cool Rieussec, nibble exquisite things from silver trays and text photos of ourselves to Finewine Gus and the others stuck back in the office. It is the idyllic end of another Bordeaux Bus Tour. Heaven, I would think, is probably based on this.

My first bus tour – doing the microphone bit – was in 1969 working for the CIVB: the Bordeaux Wine Office. A bunch of old British (non-wine) journalists. Dear God, they drank! Virtually had to carry the old gits. So I ended up on the front page of my local paper as: "Windsor Tea-Boy in the Vineyards". Never did work that one out! So, to any journalists (proper, well-behaved wine journalists) coming to our Press Tastings – like on Tuesday – an answer as to why I so rarely turn up: those journos traumatised me, early on.

But I have done hundreds of Magical Wine Bus Tours for customers over the years. And staff. This one was staff. A fast, two-day job. It’s not a luxury bringing staff to the birthplace of our Company and arguably the birthplace of wine as we know it today; it was really the Bordelais who came up with the notion of putting rather special wine in bottles with corks and smart labels with vintage dates and making a bit of a fuss.

I'm looking at a bottle of the Lafite 1794. I think … the black cobwebby covering is dense. They've been doing this stuff a long time.   

The group: Helen and Chris from the US; Adam, Beccy, Matt, Richard, Nick, Sarah, Sue, Tom, Will, Andrew, Anne, Iain, Grant, Julie, Katie, Kristin, Kyaw, Margot, Marley,  Nick and I.  

We all know so much more, now, about wine, Bordeaux, each other and we've noted down several of those brilliant, out of left-field ideas you never get in your office but only when out drinking with clever, happy people, somewhere nice. Where's nicer? And we got off to – sorry about this – a Flyer!     

The BA story: Panic Start

BA's Mr Jon Price met us at Gatwick to check us in for the Bordeaux flight. A slight hiccup meant one of our group was ticketless. Jon sorted it in style and just in time for the flight. We, of course, thanked him for his 'above and beyond the call of duty'. He replied "It was a pleasure"; he had seen we were Laithwaite's. "The best Company in the world" he said. No bull! No prompting! He just said it.

Whenever he rang us, he said, the phone was always answered within one ring by someone who always knew what they were talking about. He went on: "and I must tell you that your wines from Le Chai au Quai are to die for – I just wish you had more".

Dear Mr. Price, we FLOATED on to that plane. We also told Le Chai what you said. And they WILL make more.

Next morning in our 'home' village of Sainte Colombe we knocked off:

1. Château La Clarière Laithwaite and the barn across the road in which the youthful (sigh) Tony shared with tractors and animals whilst learning about Wine ... and French Life generally from wise old Monsieur Cassin.

2. Upstart Henry Laithwaite's shed-château down the hill, where, winewise, he now outshines his Dad. Apparently. Mmm!

3. The silent and shuttered old Château Dubois-Colombe which any day soon we will begin to transform into a real home in the vineyards, just for our best and most loyal customers. It will be a source of fine – but for them, very affordable – wine they can really feel proud of owning.

Today we are working on the most important bit: replanting a lot of the vineyards. So a walk to the top of picnic hill to see the excavators at work. Very clear day; Saint Emilion's water tower looks so close! But then, it is!

Quick lunch at 'Le Comptoir de St Genes' which no-one should ever miss a chance to try. Remy on great form, Anne-Marie bubblier than ever.

At Le Chai au Quai the team have lessons from Mark and tests in the secret art of blending – just to see if we have any budding little Marks in the team. Finally a visit to Le Presbytère, our AD 1100-something, ultra-traditional winery before finally a nice pig roast under the laden cherry tree at La Clarière … "dessert is right above you". I got sent home early, but it was a good party I heard, and here we are now headed for lunch with Eric at Lafite. Then, sadly, the plane, Gatwick and the bloody M25. i.e. The Real World.