The Médoc

Lying to the north-west of Bordeaux, the Médoc peninsula is composed of a strip of land 80 km long and 5 km wide. Bordered on one side by the Atlantic Ocean, but protected from the winds by an immense forest and the Gironde estuary to the east, the Médoc boasts a unique terroir. In this land with its long wine-making tradition, there are 8 Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée and more than 800 crus, some of which feature amongst the most prestigious red wines that can be found.

The Preuillac School: In the heart of the Médoc, at the prestigious Château Preuillac, Yvon Mau has created the Château Preuillac School. On a one-day or weekend course, Yvon Mau offers its clients the opportunity to perfect their knowledge of the Bordeaux vineyards and to follow an introduction to wine-tasting. A room has been specially laid out for tasting and can receive small groups of 5 to 15 people. Thanks to this teaching and hospitality facility, Yvon Mau hopes to introduce its best clients and partners to all the riches of the wines of Bordeaux.

the training courses are organised on the basis of 3-hour modules covering:

General knowledge of the wines of Bordeaux (introduction to tasting, red and white-wine vinification processes, vine varieties etc.)

Knowledge of the Yvon Mau range of wines (production, laying down, serving suggestions etc.)

THE PROGRAMME

Welcome to Château Preuillac by Jean-Christophe Mau

19H00: Visit of Château Preuillac following a vertical tasting of the wines of the Château

20H00: Dinner - Tasting session at Château Preuillac

Accommodation on the estate

9H00: First part of the session conducted by Richard Bampfield, Master of Wine.

Themes addressed:

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF BORDEAUX a- History of the Bordeaux wine region: from Ausone to the present day b- The Bordeaux appellation system: the 6 major areas that make up Bordeaux c- The Bordeaux grape varieties CLASSIFICATION OF BORDEAUX WINES a- 1855 classification of Médoc and Graves wines b- Classification of St Emilion wines c- Classification of Crus Bourgeois SALES OF BORDEAUX WINES a- From the producer to the trading house b- Production structures: cooperative wineries, crus bourgeois and other crus BORDEAUX IN FIGURES: Bordeaux production versus the rest of the world Break TASTING OF BRAND WINES From brand wines to AOC wines (influence of the maturing period, ageing in barrels, etc.) THE VINE: In the vineyard, where the following will be addressed: a- The vine cycle b- Work in the vineyard c- The big moment: harvesting

13H00: Cold buffet at the Château

14H30: Visit and tasting of several Crus Classés of Pauillac, St Julien or Margaux,
Theme: vinification

20H00: Dinner- Tasting session at Château Preuillac





8H30: Departure for the right bank of the Garonne

10H30: Visit and tasting of a St Emilion Cru Classé,
Theme: the differences in winegrowing methods between the right and left banks

11H30: Visit of St Emilion without a guide
St Emilion is like an open-air museum and is full of surprises. Its cave-dwelling tradition is probably its most amazing feature: a monolithic church - the only one of its kind in the world - and more than 70 hectares of underground galleries dug out of the limestone rock.

13H: Lunch in the town centre

End of the session

TEACHING STAFF

BERNARD GRANCHAMPS, agronomist and oenologist, specialised in terroirs, soils and vine varieties. At Château Preuillac, he carries out soil analyses and gives advice on the choice of root-stock, fertilisers, soil restructuring and improvement of exposure to the sun.

RICHARD BAMPFIELD, Master of Wine.
Richard Bampfield graduated in French from Cambridge in 1981 and immediately decided the wine trade was where he could put the language to best use. He managed retail wine shops in the north west for JW Lees Brewers for 7 years, then spent a year getting his hands dirty in vineyards around the world, also working in wine cellars in California and Australia. Having passed the Master of Wine Exam in 1990, he joined the Australian producer, Brown Brothers, and managed their European operations until 1999. He left them to set up his own company, with his wife Jackie, which allows him to talk about wine as often as possible both for corporate events and for wine schools such as Leiths, Sothebys and Chateau Preuillac in the Medoc. He is also rediscovering the joys of French wines, especially Bordeaux, through his work with Yvon Mau, and Champagne, through his work with Dom Perignon

JOHN SALVI, Master of Wine and œnologist.