This blog post was going to be a round up of recent discoveries over a whirlwind 10 days in Bordeaux. But, it’s turned into a bit of a Christmas list of things to try, buy and visit. Might as well get a head start on the festivities.  

Ostensibly I was back in Bordeaux for the 25 birthday celebrations of The Great Wine Capitals, but also to catch up with progress at Château Bellefontaine and to see what my favourite wine makers and friends were up to – it turns out they’re up a great deal. 

Bordeaux Festive Fizz 

No, not Crémant de Bordeaux (although be my guest). This is something completely different. The clever and inventive Destouet Family at organic Chateau Guibeau in Puisseguin Saint-Émilion have come up with an original and fun way to seduce new consumers for their wine. 

Husband-and-wife team Brigitte and Eric’s latest creation is a family project, conceived in partnership with their children, none of whom are in the wine business. It is designed to appeal to a population who don’t believe classic Bordeaux fits their lifestyle. There’s nothing classic about La Folie Rouge. Made from their organic red wine, with a little added sugar, natural flavours and carbonated water, this wine-based, ready-to-drink cocktail comes in at just 6.9% alcohol. It is labelled as a ‘Red Spritz’ and signed ‘by Guibeau’.

Served chilled, it works for summer and winter. Citrusy notes give it a festive twist reminiscent of a fresh and sparkling mulled wine.
Currently available in 33cl crown-capped bottles that retail around €6.80, the demand has been such that they are now also moving to 75cl bottles. I understand why they need a bigger bottle: it’s delicious, fun and disappears very quickly. As proved at our tasting, the appeal isn’t limited to the younger generation. This could be a perfect alternative to more classic festive fizz, particularly for those looking to moderate alcohol consumption this season.

A gift of wine 

Jacques Lurton at Vignobles André Lurton has been innovating too. After his mini bottles of Petit Bonnet launched this summer and his Oh Oui 0% ( reviewed at the beginning of the year – where does the time go?) he’s found another intriguing idea: co-fermentation and ageing Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes in a ceramic egg to produce J. Is J a nod to his name? Perhaps (there’s definitely a resemblance) but, given the label, also a reference to two-headed Janus – one white, one red? 

I was sceptical at first, but it’s surprisingly good – not that surprising given Jacques’ wine making skills. Surprising none the less, as you wouldn’t necessarily think these two varieties would play well together, but they do. It is, after all, their union somewhere back in the 17^th/18th century, that gave rise to Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Served chilled, this first 2023 vintage, Vin de France, is bright and fruity with lovely aromas and a slightly bitter, refreshing finish. It’s an original and fun take on Bordeaux from another wine maker innovating their way into new market share. Jacques calls it a “blouge” (blanc + rouge): neither white nor red. The ceramic bottle is heavy, the light weight brigade won’t like it – but I have a feeling consumers won’t be throwing this bottle away. It will make a super water carafe long after the wine has gone. The gift that keeps on giving.

A fabulous new place to stay 

On the very edge of the medieval village of Saint-Emilion, the original château of Château Villemaurine, Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Émilion, is now home to La Villa des Vignes, a discretely elegant hotel with four suites and seven bedrooms. Cleverly bringing together tradition and modern luxury, there’s a nod to the limestone it’s built of and on. The breakfast room and terrace above the vat room overlook the vines, as do a cosy salon, library and an indoor pool. All this a few steps away from the bustling centre of Saint Emilion. Guests can taste wines from all four family estates — Soutard-Cadet, Sansonnet, Moulin du Cadet and Villemaurine — in a private tasting room. It’s small enough to be ideal for a private group of family or friends – or a wine and wellness retreat – now there’s a thought! The neighbouring Maison du Château Soutard Cadet can also be privatised for smaller groups.  

Eco stay 

In the Médoc, Château Loudenne has taken a different approach to château hospitality with their first eco-cottage, in the park of the château, just steps from the estuary. The three-bedroom cottage has a wood-burning stove, fully equipped kitchen, modern bathroom and outdoor terrace — ideal for a cosy autumn or winter back-to-nature escape surrounded by this organic vineyard.

A new place to join/hang out

67 Pall Mall Bordeaux is coming to town. The upmarket London wine club is opening next year. Group Commercial Director, Lorraine Carrigan, gave us the hard-hat tour of the work in progress. The stunning venue on the Cours de l’Intendance in the centre of Bordeaux is going to put London to shame. The showcase glass wine tower reaching up to the central domed atrium will be the show stopper. Exclusive restaurant and bar spaces for members and rooms to privatise, include a roof top bar. A membership would be a wonderful Christmas gift, especially for a travelling wine lover, as it includes access not only to the Bordeaux and London clubs but Singapore, Hong Kong, Verbier and soon Shanghai, Melbourne and Beaune. Contact Lorraine for details.

Calendar wines 

Not another advent calendar full of tiny bottles and wine paraphernalia you’ll never use. This calendar is the perfect gift of solidarity with Bordeaux’s struggling winemakers. You can, and should, buy and drink more Bordeaux wine of course, but this is a little easier to send in the post and will inspire you to open a bottle or two all year long. It features 12 winemakers sharing their passions outside wine, in images captured through the lens of photographer Chuyue Ji thanks to an initiative of Pauline Versace, creator of the La Vie Bonne agency. If you read this blog, some names will be familiar, others less so. Discover  Valentine Picant  from Château Hostens-Picant, Jérémy Brun from Domaine du Carrelet Madina Querre & Adrien David-Beaulieu from Notre Sainte Terre, Jean-Thomas Doubletfrom Château Vignol, Anne-Françoise Quié from Château Rauzan-Gassies, Laure de Lambert Compeyrot from Château Sigalas Rabaud, Daisy Sichel from Château Angludet, Brigitte & Caroline Tribaudeau from Château Mauvinon, Miguel Aguirre from Château la Tour Blanche, Hugues Dutheillet de Lamothe from Château Fonfroide, Benjamin Gutmann from Château Jouvente and Mathieu Huguet from Sadon Huguet. They aim to raise awareness of the effects of the current wine crisis, but also funds to support Entre les Rangs, an association encouraging diversification in the vineyards during the current crisis. Created and made in Bordeaux, the calendar was released on 20^th November online here or, if you’re in Bordeaux, it’s available at the tourist office and some participating properties. 

On the subject of publications, Bordeaux Bootcamp and The Drinking Woman’s Diet both make lovely stocking fillers for the Bordeaux curious and wine lovers in your life.

 If you’re looking for a directory of the great and the good of Bordeaux, the venerable Bordeaux publisher Féret has just released La Liste Feret. It’s quite a tome, 1.4 Kgs non less and includes 1 500 regional personalities from academia, art, culture, associations, economics, business, food, media, politics, research, science, sport, tourism agriculture and of course wine. Guess who’s on page 470? 

Flourish , 

Still looking for a gift idea? Bring a friend along to join Sally Evans and I at our Flourish Retreat in Saint-Emilion next March for a deep dive into  wine, wellness, life change and so much more. There’s an early bird offer until the end of the year so don’t hang about! 

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If it’s not too early, I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. I hope a few bottles of delicious Bordeaux will find their way to your festive tables, share below you’re enjoying follow me on instagram to see what I’m sipping. If there’s anything Bordeaux you’d like me to explore in 2026, please comment below or email me – I love a challenge. 

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