Saint-Émilion

We left the little farm house in the morning to tour Chateau de Franc Baudron, the vineyard next door through whose vines we had unwittingly wandered the day before, and were met by Chloé (the guide) and Rose (the dog) who showed us to the vines for the first part of our tour. After answering our many questions about the plants, the soil, and the topography, Chloé showed us through the sheds (old and new) used for packing, bottling and fermenting, explained the different processes for the natural wines compared to the more traditional barrel aged varieties. We then retired to the tasting room and tried five of the wines and (naturally) bought some to bring home. Alas, the famous family sheep, Fantine, did not make an appearance.

We then jumped back into the car and headed to Saint-Emilion proper to take in some sites. By far our most tourist heavy destination so far, we found ourselves surrounded by English speakers as we stopped for lunch in the very hot town square. After some minor exploration, we booked onto a tour of the Monolithic Church for later in the afternoon and took ourselves off to the wine caves at the edge of town to seek refuge amongst the bottles. There was lots of wine. Lots and lots of wine. After a look at the bell tower and the medieval gate we joined our tour to explore the main monuments. We were guided through the hermitage of St Emilion, the 13th century chapel, the catacombs and finally the Monolithic church itself, which was vast!

After finishing our tour we ventured to our accommodation in Libourne, only a 15 minute drive away, and were greeted by Patricia and her granddaughters who showed us in and made us feel right at home. Eden (the very friendly dog) also made an appearance. After a quick rest, we made our way to the quay to finally set eyes on the Dordogne River at its confluence with the Isle. We enjoyed some wine and pate as the sun set over the river.

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