YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BORDEAUX, FRANCE 🇫🇷 Château Margaux, Palmer & More

Hello from Bordeaux guys! I am here in the wine capital of France and arguably the wine capital of the world, Bordeaux, France. The Bordeaux region is made up of Bordeaux City, the Right Bank, the Left Bank, and Entre-Deux-Mers. The Right Bank is typically known for Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, producing some incredible merlots and blends. Entre-Deux-Mers is famous for its crispy, refreshing white Bordeaux, while the Left Bank is home to some of the biggest names in wine. I got to visit some of these big names like Chateau Palmer and Chateau Margaux, but as I was exploring Bordeaux, I quickly realized if you're coming here, you definitely need a proper guide. So for all of you planning a trip, here it is, my Bordeaux guide covering what to do, what to know, visiting the big and small wineries, food, and so much more. Let's go! First things first, let's talk about getting there. You really do need to book your Bordeaux train tickets a month in advance. We assumed we could just grab them on the day and it was a big mistake. Not only were the trains completely sold out, but even rental cars in Paris were gone. So we ended up taking a Parisian taxi all the way to Bordeaux. Yes, a taxi in torrential rain for half the journey and it cost us a thousand euros. Probably the most expensive ride of my life. The one silver lining was the scenery, which was actually beautiful. Next time, I'll definitely book a rental car in advance because the drive down is worth doing properly. But seriously, do yourself a favor and book your train early. Once we finally arrived in Bordeaux, we managed to rent a car, which you absolutely need out there, but after picking it up and driving into the left bank region, it was just before nine o'clock at night and everything was completely closed. And I mean everything. We drove through several towns and villages trying to find somewhere open, but no luck. Eventually, we stumbled upon a restaurant where a few people were still eating. We begged them for some cheese and a takeaway bottle of wine, which thankfully they gave us. Otherwise, we literally would have gone hungry that night, as even our Airbnb couldn't provide us any food except a bit of fruit. After hours and hours of traveling, we're finally here. And that is our dinner. That brings me to where we stayed. Besides the fact that they only had fruit to offer us that first night, it was actually a beautiful spot. It was really charming and perfectly located for exploring the left bank. So as you can see, this is a gorgeous, gorgeous option if you're staying in Bordeaux on the left bank. It is perfectly situated between the villages of Saint-Julien and Margaux. So it's just 12 minutes away from both of them. The breakfast spread was incredible. Both mornings, we had homemade jams, fresh croissants, even crepes. One day we had a breakfast inside, and the next we sat outside by the pool with the sun shining, and it was absolutely fabulous. Now let's talk about what you probably came here for, the wine. On this trip, we were lucky to visit some of the most legendary names like Chateau Margaux, the iconic Chateau Palmer, and the stunning Chateau Clos d'Erstanal. Unfortunately, it was quite a rainy day, but that didn't stop us from enjoying the beauty of Bordeaux. This is our first stop of the day, Chateau Palmer. Oh my god, guys, look at this. A literal chateau. I feel like I'm in a fairy tale. Wow. We were running late for our first appointment in Chateau Palmer, but luckily, the friendly chef at the winery kindly pointed us in the right direction. On the way, I couldn't help but notice just how stunning the grounds were. They were absolutely picture perfect. In no time, we were led to the right person, and our tour officially began. Like millions of dollars of wine. Yep, millions of dollars of wine. And one of the most interesting things about Chateau Palmer is that it's actually one of the only fully organic and biodynamic estates in this part of Bordeaux. After the harvest, the wine first goes into these huge stainless steel vats for fermentation, before being transferred into barrels to age. Oh my goodness. This is where I want to be locked inside. To retire. This was definitely one of the most fascinating parts of the visit. Row upon rows of barrels, and each filled with wine slowly aging to perfection. At the moment, they're working on the 2023 and 2024 vintages, which will stay here until they're ready to be bottled. Oh, this is exciting. Finally, it was time for the part we'd all been waiting for, the tasting. We had the chance to try two incredible vintages. First, the Alter Ego 2020, which is Chateau Palmer's second label, and then the star of the show, the 2015 Chateau Palmer itself. I am no wine connoisseur. I know what I like and what I don't, but honestly, both the Alter Ego 2020 and the Chateau Palmer 2015 were absolutely incredible. I noticed flavors of blackberries, dark cherries, subtle spice, and a hint of vanilla. The Alter Ego 2020 is roughly balanced between Merlot and Cabernet, about 48% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 4% Petit Verdot. The Chateau Palmer Grand Vin has a similar profile too. These wines easily go for over $1,000 a bottle, so being able to taste them was an incredible experience. After the tasting, they showed us more of the cellars, including a section where some of their wine is aged in large oak costs known as Foudreuse. These allow gentler oxygen exposure due to their lower surface to volume ratio, which helps enhance both the texture and aromatics of the wine that Chateau Palmer is known for. Right now, I'm at Chateau Margaux. I'm about to be trying one of the first growth wines. There's only five of these, and this is one of them, and we've got the experience to try some of these incredible wines. First growths are considered the top tier wines in Bordeaux, recognized for their exceptional quality, history, and prestige. You'll probably recognize Chateau Margaux from its iconic label featuring the Grand Chateau, which is still owned and run by the family of Chateau Margaux itself. Welcome, La Mer, La Bordeaux. It's not only the wine that you're drinking, it's the history, it's the culture, so much expertise. We were actually early for this appointment, unlike the last one, so after a little stroll around the grounds reflecting on the significance of being in Bordeaux, we descended about three meters underground into the Chateau Margaux cellars. There was a private wine room for tastings, as well as a glimpse of their full collection behind the glass doors, and we also got to see the part of the cellars housing hundreds of barrels of Chateau Margaux. We got to see so much of the estate, including where they made every single barrel by hand, and fun fact, after about two cycles of use, the barrels have to be replaced, which makes it quite an expensive process. Here at Chateau Margaux, they first put the wine in wooden vats for gentle fermentation, which helps preserve the delicate aromas, and then they move it into stainless steel vats at a modern facility for further refinement and temperature control. It was really cool to see how they combine both the tradition with modern techniques here, and speaking of modern, our wine tasting was in the most incredible room. Honestly, it felt like something straight out of a movie. This is absolutely amazing. In this case, the vintages we got to try were the second label, Pavilion Rouge 2015, and Chateau Margaux first label, 2011. The Pavilion Rouge 2015 is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Petit Vidot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Oh, that's amazing. Similarly, the Chateau Margaux 2011 is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, so quite a lot stronger in the Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Vidot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Both wines have flavors of creme de cassis, spring flowers, black cherries, and red currant, and they were medium to full-bodied. However, the Chateau Margaux first label was definitely a lot richer. After Chateau Margaux, we headed to Chateau Costes d'Astonel. What makes the Chateau so interesting is its fascinating history with the founder, who was inspired by his travels to India, and decided to build the estate in Indian-inspired architecture. You can see these influences all over the property, from the exterior to the interior details, which make it feel really unique compared to the other Bordeaux estates. But honestly, what really blew us away was the wine cellars. That's impressive. Wow! This looks good. There are rows upon rows of oak barrels, aging their more recent vintages, probably one of the most impressive cellars I've ever seen. And at the end of the cellar, there's a special room that houses every single vintage, going all the way back to the 1800s. We also got to taste some of their wines, which were absolutely incredible, so much so that we actually ended up leaving with a case to take home. We've tried several different wines, and they are incredible. So, so good. It's really amazing to try some of these wines, which I could never otherwise be able to buy if you weren't in Bordeaux. And that brings us to the next part of the trip, exploring the smaller Lestone wineries on the left bank. While the big names like Palmer, Margaux, and Costes d'Astonel are legendary, we found that the smaller estates are just as charming and often more flexible with visits, making them a must-see if you're in the region. Okay, so we have just arrived at Chateau Langlois-Léoville-Barton, another winery with extremely highly rated wines. Chateau Langlois-Barton has an interesting history. The estate has been family-owned since the 1820s, making it one of the longest family-run properties in Bordeaux. We actually just turned up here first to buy a few bottles, but we were pleasantly surprised when they were able to squeeze us in for a last-minute tasting. I'm so glad they did because the wines were so good. Elliot preferred the Cabernet dominant style, while I lean more towards the Merlot dominant one, which he said is actually quite common with men and women. Beautiful. We also got really lucky, the lovely guide showed us the grounds including the exact chateau featured on their wine label. It's actually still used today by the grandmother of the family who lives there now. We wrapped up our visit with a look inside the winemaking facility where the massive vats are kept. It was such a cool behind-the-scenes peek at how this incredible wine comes to life. Guys, look at this. We have just walked up to a Disney princess palace castle. This is amazing. I think that's probably the most beautiful building I've seen in my entire life. Chateau Pichon Baron, in my opinion, is the most stunning castle in all of Bordeaux. We popped into their wine shop too, hoping to do a tasting, but unfortunately they were fully booked and couldn't accommodate us at this time. With a chateau that looks that good, the wine has to taste just as good, so of course we ended up buying a few bottles to take with us. We're standing in front of Chateau Pichon Baron. As you can see, we couldn't help ourselves. We had to buy some. Next up was Chateau Tenac, one of the smaller family-run wineries in the region. And honestly, out of all the wines I tasted in Bordeaux, I think this was my favorite. Not just for the taste, but also for the value. Bottles here were around $35 to $40, which in Bordeaux is actually very reasonable considering how expensive things get. The experience itself was just as memorable. Even though we arrived without an appointment, they welcomed us in for a tasting and were incredibly accommodating. They even went out of their way to find a specific vintage that Elliot had been searching for. And it's the last bottle, so it is finished. And gave them the very last bottle they had in stock. All right, so on the first day that we arrived, we had a beautiful bottle of Bordeaux from the restaurant, and that was from this incredible winery which we're now at. It's a small winery, it's only 12 hectares, so they produce a very small amount of wine, but the wine is absolutely delicious. Honestly, I would say of all the wines that I've tried, it's probably actually my favorite. Hey guys, that is the river that separates the right bank to the left bank. We're on the left bank right now, but right now we are in Pauillac region, which houses some of the biggest and best wineries in the world. We're talking Chateau Le Tour, Chateau Le Mouton Rothschild. Guys, look at this, look at this, look at this. We've already checked out some of the best villages of Bordeaux. Margot, and now we're in Pauillac, another iconic part of the left bank. This region is home to some of the most famous first growth estates like Chateau Mouton Rothschild, and honestly, I can't even explain how enjoyable it is just getting in the car and driving through these villages. Every road leads to another legendary chateau. Pontette Canette, this is beautiful, wow. And that brings us to our next stop, Chateau Pontette Canette, set on a gorgeous estate right here in Pauillac. Chateau Pontette Canette actually felt a bit like a farm. We loved spending time with the cats and admiring the horses, and for a while we wandered the grounds alone until we met someone who explained that tastings have to be booked well in advance. I couldn't exactly blame them for that because seeing their wall of stars with visitors like Pink, Roger Federer, and Leonardo DiCaprio, I realized I probably don't make the cut. Even without a tasting, we continued our drive through the beautiful Bordeaux lanes, and I started thinking. Okay, so I want to give you guys some honest thoughts about Bordeaux. The wineries are beautiful, but meant by, to be honest with you, the French people really suffered just with the overall rudeness by a lot of the people. Generalize, this is not absolutely everyone. It's a real shame because this is honestly one of those beautiful places on earth, and I genuinely believe has the best wine on earth as well. The thing is simple, it's like going to a waiter, looking back at you, literally throwing the food at you, for like asking to put it in a takeaway box. Highly, highly recommend what we've done. Going to visit some of the smaller wineries, which you can do by just renting a car and just going around. What we've done actually is going on Boudinot and seeing them, and the ones with the higher ratings were little small family wineries. Some of them were as little as 12 hectares, so very small production. But the people are very friendly, they'll give you tastings, and that has been my most pleasant part of this experience. To keep it real for you guys, I want to tell you exactly what my experience was like. I'd like to think I've been really positive in this vlog so far, and everything I've shown has been a genuinely good experience. However, I had to keep it real for you guys and tell you about the bad too. Of course, what really lifts your mood though is food, and if there's one thing that the French know how to do, it is good food. One thing I'll say about France is they know what they're doing with their cuisine. Bordeaux has some of the best food I've experienced anywhere in the world, and it's something you really need to take advantage of while you're here. That said, as I mentioned, places do tend to close early, so keep that in mind for dinner. If you're looking for somewhere that stays open a bit later, Pauillac is a great option. It's the biggest village on the left bank and has the most food options along the promenade, with plenty of restaurants to choose from. As for where we ate, I have two fantastic recommendations. The first is in Pauillac, a wonderful French bistro. I had an incredible foie gras and beef stew. Foie gras in France is just incredible, so it's a must try. And Elliot went for a steak, which was also so good. Steak in France is amazing. One thing I always love about France is that the wine by the glass is consistently delicious, and being in Bordeaux, that's obviously even better. The second place I highly recommend is Restaurant Saint Julien. We actually ended up eating here twice, and this is also the place where they gave us the cheese. The prawns, the salmon were all amazing, and the steak, which we all had, was absolutely delicious. We made reservations for most of these, but on the day itself, which I think works most of the time. All right, we have done the wines in Bordeaux, and now we are in the actual city of Bordeaux. So by now we've covered the wineries in Bordeaux, gone over what to do and not to do, and explored the food. Now I want to show you guys what else there is to do in the area. One of the most popular things, of course, is visiting the city of Bordeaux. It's a buzzing little city full of life, and we're actually off to meet some friends, and it's the perfect place to do that. The city has so much more atmosphere, with a young and vibrant crowd, making it a really fun place to explore. Champagne with ice. I told you about this. Have you ever seen that? Wild. So this is a Bordeaux thing. Wild. Cheers. Cheers. Good to see you. We didn't linger in the city for too long, though, as we were headed to the coast, but on the way, I couldn't help noticing this. Next, we headed to Arcachon, a bit of a hidden gem on the coast. It's where local French tourists come to holiday during August and September, and it's only about an hour drive from Bordeaux city, so super convenient. There are also trains that can take you there from the city. A fun fact, my idol Anthony Bourdain had family originally from Arcachon, and he actually did an episode of Parts Unknown here, but perhaps what the town is most famous for are its oysters. I was pleasantly surprised by Arcachon. It wasn't too busy, and it had such an amazing vibe, especially around the outdoor market, which is open in the mornings and evenings. This is incredible. Such a nice vibe here, guys. Such a nice vibe. Another thing about Arcachon is that they've got some really great food, but out of everything, you've got to try their famous oysters. I'm scared, because they're so large. So Anthony Bourdain said that the oyster that he had in Arcachon changed his entire life in the way that he viewed food and just life in general, so I'm trying to figure out if this oyster is going to have the exact same effect on me. You'll have to find out in my next vlog whether the oysters actually changed my life. Trust me, you don't want to miss it. Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour. Oh my god. Thanks so much for watching, guys. I really hope you enjoyed the Bordeaux vlog, but make sure you stay tuned, because I'm going to be climbing up the highest sand dune in Europe, Dune de Palat, and it's a crazy experience. 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