Chateau Reverdi, Listroc-Medoc

I have always been reasonably confidant that Bordeaux wines

come from Bordeaux (see earlier post), and so, while I was
touring Hennessey's, Vicki booked me onto a Medoc tour
Saturday afternoon. We drove into Bordeaux, a big beautiful
city, and as is our habit, right into the center, and parked
innocently at the disused tour bus section of the Esplanade
de Quinconces, Europe's largest city square (they say) and
huge park and market. The Office of Tourism said the police
are generally very tolerant of camping cars, especially
tourists, and we probably could even spend the night, which
we eventually did. I boarded the tour bus after lunch, and,
with a very mixed crew of French, Italian, Spanish, Brits,
several Americanskis, set forth to the Mecca of wine (they
say). Apart from scenic driving, narrated in French and then

English, we stopped for long tours and tastings at two

chateaux, Reverdi, a new, family operation that has been

winning awards (cru bourgois), and Kirwan, which is an

old grand cru. Above is Chateau Reverdi's fermentation

hall.

Big modern vats

Bottled inventory

Vat interior view; this is the last thing the

grape sees before the lights go out

About 80% of the grapes are machine-picked

these days, but still have to be separated from

leaves, stems, etc.

Grape crushing machine; they do not do it the old-fashioned

way anymore

Over in the cellar/tasting area, the tables are set

2009, aging; they are using American oak in the barrels,

adding complexity and spice (they said); damn, I was proud;

but then, all the wine root-stock in France is American,

but that's another phylloxatic story

We tasted a 2006 and a 2004; I bought the 

now-drinkable 2004 (alas, the Grey

Wanderer does not have a wine safe or cellar)

But the 2006 wasn't bad