Back from a great trip to the SW France - Dordogne/Perigord Noir, Gascony, and Bordeaux with a toe dip into Spain. Apologies for missing the accents in the following post.
We took the new LGV service (2 hours from Paris Montparnasse to Bordeaux St Jean) and jumped in a rental car to Perigord Noir. Many thanks to everyone here for the info about the region. We looked at Relais & Chateaux but ended up with a luxury B&B right on the river in Port St Julien - convenient to Sarlat, Beynac, etc. - called Par La Riviere. http://www.parlariviere.com/en/ We really can’t recommend them highly enough - huge room, luxury finishes, tasty breakfasts, right on the river, remote and secluded. Not for those that want high-end hotel amenities (room service, spa, etc.) but great lodging in the region. Run by a British/Canadian couple and their large Irish Wolfhound Murphy. Julien de Savignac in Le Bugue is a great, but a little pricey, wine store. Worth a stop - particularly for some rarities and SW specialties like vin de noix.
Lots of castles, gardens, markets, outstanding scenery, etc. to see. Too many to list. Our favorite castle was Beynac, favorite attraction/garden was the birds of prey show and gardens at Chateau Milandes, favorite afternoon stroll was through the gardens of Marqueyssac to the Belevedere in the rain. A bit disappointed in the Michelin 1* Le Grand Bleu in Sarlat - I think he tries a bit too hard. But we found two local gems - La Traverse in Cenac et St Julien (small local place, favorite dish was pork medallions with plums, honey, and rosemary) and L’Espande in Domme (foie gras with raspberries three ways - OMG, great cheese chart, amazing views) - both excellent meals but on very different scales. Would recommend them both.
First winery stop was a Chateau de Cedre in Bru (Vire-sur-Lot). Very nice and friendly tasting through their line-up, including a walk through the vineyards. Harvest had not begun when we were there. They have a regular and non-sulphur line-up. I preferred their regular lineup and their white Cahors was an interesting find. These wines are big and not for a casual drink. Then onto Chateau Mercues for lunch - a return for us where we had stayed 20 years ago. Excellent meal - oeufs en cocotte, shredded lamb “occitane”, chocolate and praline dessert - very heavy and rich - you learn quickly that you need those dark wines to cut that richness.
A few days in Gascony at Michel Guerard’s daughter’s place La Bastide in Barbotan-les-Thermes. A nice place, but a little disappointed in the restaurant. No comparison to his place in Eugenie-les-Bains, although they do offer a “cuisine minceur” menu. However the buffet breakfasts were the best of the trip. Generally, I find chef run hotels have amazing breakfasts! We found Gascony more off the beaten path than Perigord Noir and appreciated the lack of tourists, serenity, and country drives - along with a dash of the Musketeers and Armagnac. Nice bastide towns to stroll through. An amazing lunch in Condom at Le Balcon - foie gras and fig raviolis were too die for - on the balcony overlooking the cathedral and the Four Musketeer statue. The cathedral is worth a stop on its one - the flamboyant gothic details and stained glass were some of the most striking that I’ve seen across Europe. A tasting in Armagnac at a smaller, family run place in Eauze, Chateau Millet - and my first Floc de Armagnac - which is more to my liking and a new favorite aperitif. I’m not a hard liquor fan so this was a nice treat. The tastings in Madiran were at Chateau Montus and Chateau Boucasse including a visit to the vineyard at La Tyre. We happened upon a visit with Japanese wine industry folks and our short visit turned into a three hour tour and a visit with Alain Brumont. Like Chateau de Cedre, these wines are huge and hard to taste on its own. Some pate and bread helped. The surprise here was a late harvest dessert wine (pacherenc) from Chateau Boucasse (they have three versions - one harvested in October, one in November, and one in December. Then after a short stop in Pau to tour the Chateau, admire the view of the Pyrenee, a stop to pick up some of the “Coeur de L’Amour” - apricot/peach/mango jam - at Francois Miot, and then off to San Sebastian.
A short visit at the Maria Cristina - which everyone has already raved about here - and I’ll add our compliments as well. Great hotel, great location, great staff. A Pintxos crawl later that evening - my favorite was La Fuego Negro. A few comments about the Pinxtos crawl - I had expected some small little tastes at each Pintxos bar, but we had large portions at some places and it was hard for me to tell when I would get a large dish and when I would get just a taste of something. Txacholi is a perfect pairing for pinxtos. We mainly ordered off the menu and avoided the pre-made pintxos. I’m addicted to gildas. Did I say I’m addicted to gildas? I was underwhelmed by Bar Nestor - the steak was huge and the tomatoes weren’t tasty. I get better out of our garden. The mushrooms at Ganbara are exceptional - the broken egg yolk on top makes the dish.
If in San Sebastian, go to La Perla. It’s one of the best thalassotherapy circuits I’ve tried anywhere. It’s not a “spa” in the sense that Americans think of spa. More of a series of pools with a variety of jets, Jacuzzis, hammams, saunas, cold plunges, beach access for a quick dip in the ocean, etc - and don’t miss the Sensory Corridor. Three hours is just about right - all for about 70 Euros for the two of us. Perfect on a rainy day. Dinner at Akelare that evening - greetings at the door my the chef, wonderful views over the Atlantic, excellent sommelier with more Spanish recommendations, a “surprise” chocolat cake to celebrate a birthday, and a nice pace for a multi-course tasting. We had the Classic Menu - which has been discussed here before. My favorite was the Foie Gras with “salt and pepper”. Friendly discussion with the table next to us - a young couple from the Bay Area. A great experience and highly recommend.
Then off to Bordeaux for an overnight at Chateau Pape Clement with a private dinner at the chateau. Our suite (Clos de Songes) was beautiful and it was nice to stay on property - the rooftop deck has great views over the vineyards. But I was a little disappointed in the wines both at dinner and at the tasting and had expected a bit more. It’s very commercialized with a tasting boutique, and lots of tours. The gardens are a nice detour from the “business” side with their pair of peacocks following you through the potager, hen house, palm garden, and vineyards. Lunch at La Dominique’s place in St Emilion/Pomerol. The foie gras terrine was yummy. Portions were huge. Wines ok but nothing that stood out (La Dominque, Clement-Pichon, and Fayat). Beautiful views from the deck over Chateau Cheval Blanc (they were harvesting) and their neighbors. Dinner and overnight at Troplong Mondot and their B&B/restaurant Les Belles Perdrix. Highly recommend a stay here - we had a beautiful suite on the top floor of the building next to the “Maison” right next to the vineyards. A lovely walk through the vineyards, around the pool and orchard, etc. By far the best meal of the trip was here at Les Belles Perdrix with the 2000 Troplong Mondot - a tasting menu to celebrate France’s National Heritage Day - followed by fireworks and champagne at the pool. Very nice breakfast in the same restaurant.
A fantastic trip through some parts of France we haven’t experienced before. Now to start planning for next year!