DAY TWO | Courthezon, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Séguret
We weren’t sure what the coffee arrangement would be in our AirBnB, so we brought along an Aeropress and a bag of Stumptown coffee. Thus the morning began with a bit of email catchup, and a warm taste of home. We supplemented with some croissants and a baguette from the Boulangerie around the corner.
Our first appointment of the trip was just a few minutes from the house, and we got our first look at the excellent 2015 vintage — ripe, soft, rich, and extremely drinkable. They may not all have the tannin to survive the long haul, but if they continue to drink like this won’t last long anyway.
We grabbed lunch in Courthezon — frites, salad, sandwich — and then crossed back over to Chateauneuf-du-Pape. A bit early for our 2pm (you’ll remember the world halts between noon and two here), we stopped along the plateau at the northern edge of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation.
Though we’ve seen and photographed them many times, the smooth, round, large orange stones that fill the fields are still impressionant, as they say. Our after-lunch tasting took place on a beautiful veranda overlooking hundred year old vines, and produced several exciting new potential additions to the portfolio.
Our last tasting of the day was in Gigondas, with old friends whose wines we know as well as any. Their whole gamme was delicious as usual, and their 2015s as rich and exciting as those from the morning. Good laughs and family updates.
Back at the house we worked for a bit on the video blog, and then zipped up to Séguret for dinner again, this time at a different restaurant. Highlights included, house-smoked salmon, pork sous-vide, and a view of sun settling into layers of haze across the valley. We’ve managed to eat every meal outdoors so far.
A morning trip to the Languedoc tomorrow.
