Jean-Christophe was back in the motherland! JC's recent trip to Bordeaux and the Rhone was all about wine, food, and soaking up the good life. From the charming villages of Southern Rhône to the steep Northern vineyards, and finally to the legendary vineyards of Bordeaux, it was a journey packed with amazing bottles, unforgettable meals, and great people along the way.THE RHONE VALLEY We kicked off our tastings in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where the vineyards are famously carpeted in galets roulés (those large, round stones) which help regulate the vines' temperature. We were warmly welcomed at Château de la Nerthe, one of the oldest estates in Chateauneuf, for our first tasting of the week. Their elegant wines left a strong impression, especially the Cuvée “Granieres”, which will be landing in New Zealand for the first time very soon. The day ended on a high with a tasting at Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe—a thrilling contrast to La Nerthe. Their wines are more powerful and earthy, a great representation of the best terroir of the Appellation. At Château Fortia, Michael guided us through the full 2023 vintage tasting – beautifully ripe wines that still retained their minerality and freshness. I was agreeably impressed by the wines’ balance! Later, we visited Domaine de la Charbonnière. The wines crafted by the estate’s daughters are reaching a different level— definitely a producer to watch closely.We drove toward Gigondas and Vacqueyras, the vineyards nestled at the base of the dramatic Dentelles de Montmirail.Our first visit was with the “King of Vacqueyras,” Domaine Sang des Cailloux, whose 2023s stood out for their generous character with yet beautiful balance and freshness. In Gigondas, we were thrilled to spend time with one of the Appellation’s true prodigies, Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme and Château de Rouanne. His approach to winemaking is thoughtful and terroir-driven, and it’s no surprise his wines continue to worldwide accolades.Lunch at Boulangerie des Tilleuls in the charming village of Faucon offered a perfect local interlude. Thierry Faravel and his niece Maëva hosted a fantastic tasting at Domaine de la Bouissière - included our first ever Gigondas Blanc from the estate - followed by a beautiful lunch in the village. That evening, we enjoyed a truly memorable dinner with Gigondas’ two superstars—Thierry Faravel and Louis Barruol. Sharing food, old wines, and stories with them was one of the highlights of the trip. Next stop in Cairanne! The Alary family welcomed us for a tasting. The younger generation is undergoing exciting changes at the Domaine. Before heading north, we had a special evening at Auberge de la Camarette. Nancy and Hugo hosted us for a Provençal cooking demo, tasting, and dinner in the most magical countryside setting. Our travels then took us to the Northern Rhône, where we met Jean-Baptiste Souillard, one of the region’s most promising new talents. Reds are savoury and fine-boned, whites structured and lifted by a deliberate touch of bitterness. We had a wonderful dinner at Domaine de Clairefontaine, where the Michelin-starred menu was paired beautifully with Northern Rhône wines—elegant, savoury, and refined. To round off the trip, we visited four of the Rhône’s undisputed greats: Jean-Paul & Corinne Jamet in Côte-Rôtie, Jean-Louis Chave in Hermitage, Domaine Clape in Cornas and François Villard in Condrieu. No matter how many times we taste with them, their wines never fail to captivate us—an absolute must for any serious Rhône lover. Our last night in the Rhone was spent at Domaine Pierre Gaillard for it famous ‘Gaillardise’. A unique event for food and wine match. Pierre Gaillard - Larger than life!BORDEAUXWe started our journey in the prestigious Pomerol and neighbouring Lalande-de-Pomerol Appellations. At Château Séraphine and Clos Cantenac, our wonderful hosts Martin and Charlotte welcomed us for a visit, tasting and lunch. They were generous with variety of vintages they opened, and it certainly demonstrated the ageing potential of their wines. We continued with a visit to Châteaux Moncets & Chambrun, where a dynamic winemaking team - lead by Julien Noel - produces a “new wave” style of Bordeaux wines with vigour and freshness of authentic fruit.Is Saint-Émilion the prettiest village in Bordeaux? We certainly think s Our day in this historic Appellation began with a visit to the newly renovated Château Bélair-Monange, followed by a special lunch at Château La Fleur-Pétrus that offered both culinary and oenological excellence. We continued to Château Angelus, and concluded our journey at Château Canon, where the 2024 vintage was showing beautifully.We crossed over to the Left Bank, and attended a masterclass at Château Giscours in Margaux gave us an in-depth look at the 2024 vintage, followed by a stunning lunch paired with older millésimes—a true expression of the estate’s evolution and aging potential. At Château Malescasse, we arrived under stormy skies, but nothing could dampen the mood. We had a wonderful visit and dinner with co-owner Alban Cacaret. His family also owns Château de Peyrassol in Provence, a nice connection across France’s wine regions. Even a 9:00 a.m. tasting at Château Calon-Ségur couldn't faze us—when the wines are this good, any time is the right time. We then uncovered one of Saint-Julien’s best-kept secrets at Château Branaire-Ducru. Our visit and lunch with owner François-Xavier Maroteaux was a highlight. Along the way, we also visited the iconic Château Margaux, Château Latour and Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion! Our Bordeaux journey ended in style with a Sturia caviar tasting with Sauternes and lunch at Château Guiraud. It truly doesn’t get much better than that. Producers we visited RHONE VALLEYChâteau FortiaDomaine du PegauDomaine CharbonnièreDomaine Sang des CaillouxDomaine de la BouissiereDomaine AlaryChâteau de la NertheDomaine du Vieux TelegrapheChâteau de Saint CosmeChâteau de RouanneDomaine Jean- Louis ChaveDomaine ClapeDomaine Jean-Baptiste SouillardJean-Paul et Corinne JametDomaine François VillardDomaine Pierre GaillardBORDEAUXChâteau SeraphineClos CantenacChâteau MoncetsChâteau de ChambrunChâteau Belair-MonangeChâteau Fleur-PetrusChâteau AngelusChâteau CanonChâteau GiscoursChâteau LatourChâteau MalescasseChâteau Calon SegurChâteau Branaire-DucruChâteau MargauxChâteau Les Carmes Haut-BrionChâteau GuiraudSturia Caviar