For a change, it’s not Mademoiselle Bon Plan writing this article, but her favorite photographer (she’s the one who says so, I’m not making it up!). This time, we’re talking about Saint-Émilion in the Gironde region, to coincide with the broadcast on October 13, 2019, on the Voyage channel of the “France” episode of the documentary series “UNESCO Wonders”, which makes a stop in this charming village with its incredibly rich heritage.
Since 1999, this village of 1,800 inhabitants, which welcomes a million tourists every year, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More specifically, it is its “cultural landscape” that is classified (which encompasses the village, the vineyards, the gastronomy… everything, actually).
This UNESCO inscription is the subject of a four-part documentary on “UNESCO Wonders”. I had the opportunity to discover the episode about France, which revisits various high-profile heritage sites and is filmed mainly with a drone. We discover stunning images of Mont Saint-Michel, the Château de Versailles… Without forgetting, of course, Saint-Émilion. If you are looking for your next vacation spot, I invite you to take a look, it provides some great ideas!
UNESCO Wonders (4 episodes: France, Italy, Greece, Spain) 4 x 52 minutes, broadcast Sunday at 8:50 PM starting October 13, 2019. Director: Luca Bergamaschi VOYAGE Channel
Saint-Émilion Tourist Office Place des Créneaux Le Doyenné, 33330 Saint-Émilion
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Table of Contents
Château Angélus
Château Angélus is a sacred temple of Saint-Émilion wine and an icon of French wine production. Held since the 18th century by the de Boüard de Laforest family (8 generations), it is a traditional estate in the purest sense of the term, yet it is constantly evolving under the impetus of each generation. In particular, thanks to Hubert de Boüard, an outstanding winemaker who travels the world to share his knowledge with other vineyards and who has now passed the torch to his daughter.
This estate received the “Premier Grand Cru Classé A” label in 2012, the highest distinction for a Saint-Émilion wine, and it is also one of the first major estates to go organic, despite the technical constraints related to the region and its climate.
A little fun anecdote for movie buffs: you can find the estate’s bottles in many films, including the James Bond movies with Daniel Craig.
I visited the castle during the harvest period, so to say there was a beautiful and intoxicating (couldn’t resist) smell of grapes inside the building is an understatement. The estate has concrete, wooden, and stainless steel vats. It’s as if different eras and techniques are coexisting to deliver an exceptional wine.
Because yes, the wine here is exceptional. So exceptional that the price is enough to make you pale (their flagship bottle is 300-400 euros…). So, if you can’t afford to buy cases of 6 bottles, you can always satisfy yourself with tasting it once in your lifetime!
The estate mainly grows two grape varieties: Merlot and Cabernet Franc. When tasted, these wines reveal themselves to be delicate with silky tannins. They have a superb length on the palate and leave a memorable souvenir… We are definitely dealing with very good wine. It is the fruit of exceptional work.
Château Angélus 33330 Saint-Emilion
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Le Logis de la Cadène
6 years ago, Château Angélus ventured into the restaurant business with Le Logis de la Cadène. With the help of its young chef, Alexandre Baumard, who worked with the world-renowned chef Paul Bocuse (who passed away last year), the restaurant quickly earned a Michelin star.
On the plate, you discover a refined and balanced cuisine that highlights seasonal products. Furthermore, the restaurant has a superb wine cellar (no surprise there) with, of course, wines from Château Angélus, but also from all over the world.
Must try:
- For the starter, I chose the Tuber Aestivum truffles from Guillaume Ge in risotto, bound with parmesan. A perfectly balanced delight; the truffle did not overpower the other flavors, and the risotto kept its crunch.
- For the main course, I had the choice between squab or John Dory, I chose the John Dory (but the meat looked delicious too). It was prepared lightly seared, with zucchini flowers stuffed with langoustines, condiments, ratatouille, and an anise-flavored fish soup. A great success.
- Finally, to make the end of the meal perfect, I let myself be tempted by the blackberry, in the style of a vacherin, dome of yuzu sorbet and blackberry compote, ice cream parfait and tarragon cream. But the choice below of the fig with a soft chocolate biscuit certainly wouldn’t have displeased me either…
Le Logis de la Cadène 3 Place du Marché au Bois, 33330 Saint-Émilion Open Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00 PM–1:45 PM, 7:30 PM–9:30 PM Price: Signatures menu at €75 per person (€140 with 3 glasses of wine) The hot tip: Market menu (Lunch only, except weekends and public holidays) at €39 with starter + main course + dessert
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Thanks to the Voyage channel for this invitation and this beautiful discovery.
I hope that with all this I’ve made you want to discover Saint-Émilion, and if you too have your favorite addresses and tips for this village, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my travel articles below:
⇒ All my articles on the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
⇒ All my articles about wine
⇒ All my articles about wine tourism
MY WINE TOURISM DISCOVERIES
⇒ The Burgundy Wine Route
⇒ The Wines of Lirac
⇒ The Wines of Vacqueyras
⇒ Cognac, discover the city and its spirits
⇒ Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux
⇒ The Percée du Vin Jaune in the Jura
⇒ The Wines of the Luberon
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free; photographer's authorization required before any use
