NEW: Access-All-Areas Burgundy: A 4-night Trip | 21 – 25 September
NEW DATES as the first tour sold out immediately.
Our much-anticipated new tour, based in the heart of the historic city of Beaune, will reveal the very best of Burgundy’s acclaimed wines in the company of Spectator drinks editor Jonathan Ray. Expertly orchestrated by our good friends at Kirker Holidays we will visit family-run estates, elegant 18th-century châteaux and medieval cellars that once belonged to the Dukes of Burgundy, while meeting winemakers and sampling a wide array of excellent wines.
Jonathan Ray says: ‘Burgundy, ah Burgundy! The simplest of all regions to understand and yet the hardest to get to grips with. The simplest because, apart from Gamay in Beaujolais, an outpost of Sauvignons Blanc and Gris in Saint-Bris and the occasional Aligoté wines dotted around, only two grapes are used: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Impossible to get to grips with because, unlike Bordeaux, the wines are invariably named after the villages where the grapes are grown, and quality can vary dramatically between the thousands of different growers (many of whom might own little more than a row or two of vines), negociants and producers. Over the course of four wine-fuelled, lunch-laden days we’ll do our best to understand this wonderful region, with visits to some stellar producers, uncorking the tastiest bottles as we go.’
Day 1 We fly to Lyon in the afternoon and transfer to the four-star Hôtel de la Poste, Beaune, where we will lay down our marker with a shirt-popping dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, accompanied by some appropriately toothsome wines selected by Jonathan Ray.
Day 2 A short stroll takes us to Maison Louis Jadot, the family-owned producer and negociant founded in 1859. After an in-depth tasting of the range and a fine leisurely lunch, we continue to the exquisite 18th-century Château De Pommard, one of Burgundy’s oldest estates, beautifully restored by the Carabello-Baum family and now boasting state-of-the-art winemaking facilities.
Day 3 We head north from Beaune, driving some 30 minutes to Maison Edouard Delaunay, founded in 1893 and now in the hands of Laurent and Catherine Delaunay, fifth-generation wine growers and negociants who have amassed more than 650 scores of 90 points plus for their focused, precise wines. Returning to Beaune in the afternoon, we visit Domaine Joseph Drouhin, famed not only for the quality of its hand-crafted wines but also for its extensive medieval cellars that once belonged to the Dukes of Burgundy. The evening will be at leisure.
Day 4 Today we devote to the wines of Domaine Chanson, one of the oldest of negociants in the heart of Beaune, founded in 1750 and now part of the Bollinger stable. We will tour the famous 15th-century bastion followed by an extensive tasting of the range. This will be followed by a fine, wine-pairing lunch, after which we visit two of Domaine Chanson’s vineyards, the Clos des Fèves Monopole and Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes. We will dine together at a local restaurant in Beaune in the evening. After checking out of the hotel, we head straight for Domaine Laurent Cognard and the new tasting room in Ch. De Buxy in the Maconnais, followed by a tasting and valedictory lunch. We then continue to Lyon airport for our flight departing at 5.30pm.
21 – 25 September | £2,984 per person | Single Supplement £398
Our prices are per person, based on the shared occupancy of a twin/double room. Supplement for single occupancy as shown.
Flights with British Airways:
Depart London Heathrow at 1.55pm, arrive Lyon at 4.40pm
Depart Lyon at 5.30pm, arrive London Heathrow at 6.10pm
Flight times subject to change – regional departures available on request.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
• Return flights
• Four nights’ accommodation with breakfast
• Three lunches
• Two dinners
• Wine tastings as described
• The services of Jonathan Ray and a Kirker Tour Manager
Please speak to Lucy Ayling at Kirker for more information on 0207 593 2284 or email lucy.ayling@kirkerholidays.com
