Robert Goughs trip to France

This summer I had the opportunity to visit Champagne, Chablis, Burgundy and Rhone for a week.
The trip did not start well with my car blowing up at 5am half way down the A12 on my way to a Heathrow flight to Paris. The upside is that I can report that Eurostar offer an excellent, fast service out of King’s Cross and I am currently looking for a new car!

After Champagne I saw the hardworking farmers of Chablis producing steely, minerally wines in this tricky part of France. I have taken a photo of one field in Chablis to show the different areas of ownership and the different age and quality of the vines sitting side by side.

Vines growing in Chablis, the grass paths mark out the different ownership of parcels of vines

One can never be pre prepared enough for the gentle, constant lecturing one gets from Burgundians who want to explain the importance of terroir – the differences in soil, moisture, sunlight etc that is experienced in different fields. How less than 200 yards can change a wine from expensive and great to very expensive and amazing! One only has to remember that they have been growing wines here for 900 years to excuse their little eccentricities.

Clos Du Vougeot and surrounding vineyards, Burgundy
Rhone was a joy with intense wines showing strawberrish fruit and great complexity.

Old bottles in the cellars of Jean-Claude Boisset

Hard at work wine tasting at Paul Jaboulet Aine

We have made a number of additions to our wine list as a result of the trip. I hope you enjoy drinking them,  I am off to find someone who wants to buy a rundown Saab.