Cover The sprawling estate of Château Branaire-Ducru (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
The sprawling estate of Château Branaire-Ducru (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
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Tatler+
From private dinners with château owners to blending your own wine with leading winemakers, Cathay’s tour of Bordeaux will impress even the most discerning wine lovers
Cathay has curated an exclusive tour that will allow wine connoisseurs to revel in the best that Bordeaux has to offer, starting from the moment they board the aircraft.
After all, the Hong Kong flag carrier prides itself in offering its First and Business Class travellers a selection of quality wines that rival those of fine dining restaurants. These wines have been personally selected by Cathay’s own wine panellists, including Master of Wine, Debra Meiburg, and resident wine specialist Ronald Khoo.
Tatler tip: If you like what you’ve sipped, you can bring your favourite bottles home as they’re available for purchase online at Cathay Shop.
Above Inside Château Branaire-Ducru (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
Above The beautiful vineyards of Montrose (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
Inside Château Branaire-Ducru (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
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Now, Cathay has built on its relationship with Bordeaux winemakers and is offering a spectacular wine tour filled with exclusive and immersive experiences for Cathay members. Khoo will join guests on this journey from August 31 to September 6 and share his expertise on Bordeaux reds. Also joining the group will be Mark Pygott, one of the world’s 416 Masters of Wine designated by The Institute of Masters of Wine.
The tour will take guests to four renowned châteaux in the region: Château Lynch-Bages, Château Branaire-Ducru, Château Montrose and Château Lafite Rothschild—the last two are particularly special as these châteaux only allow visits from those in the wine industry, but have made a rare exception for Cathay members. During these visits, guests will get to taste iconic vintage wines from the cellars and enjoy private dining experiences with the château owners and directors.
Guests will enjoy intimate interactions with the likes of Jean-Charles Cazes, owner of Chateau Lynch Bages, and Saskia de Rothschild, CEO and director general of Château Lafite Rothschild. The latter was an investigative journalist who covered riveting topics from mining in Greenland to interviewing inmates at La Maca prison in Abidjan, Ivory Coast—making for some incredible stories to be shared over fabulous wine.
Above Inside the cellars of Château Lynch-Bages (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
Inside the cellars of Château Lynch-Bages (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
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At Château Lynch-Bages, guests will get to sample single grape variety wines that have not yet been released to the market and learn about the art of blending a Grand Cru Bordeaux from the château’s seasoned winemaker himself—an exclusive experience that was created especially for this tour. After long days of wining and dining, guests will get to enjoy their evenings at Château Cordeillan-Bages, a Relais & Chateaux hotel. One of the most coveted stops on the Bordeaux wine route, this charming 19th-century property is tucked away in the heart of a picturesque vineyard.
Back in Paris, champagne gets its moment to sparkle as guests finish their tour of a lifetime on a high note—that is, with a private dinner hosted by Clovis Taittinger, managing director of the one and only Taittinger Champagne House, and Jean-Guillaume Prats, the président of Château d’Estoublon & vice-chairman of Château Léoville Las Cases.
Above Wine blending at Château Lynch-Bage (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
Above A bottle of 2010 vintage of Château Branaire-Ducru (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
Wine blending at Château Lynch-Bage (Photo: courtesy of Cathay)
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Over fine French cuisine, Taittinger and Prats will share their wealth of knowledge about the wine industry, giving guests the inside scoop on how some of the world’s most celebrated wines go from grape to glass. The tour is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to Cathay Diamond members from June 7 to 20. Interested guests can register for the tour here at Cathay Shop and successful applicants will receive a unique payment link within seven working days.
Act fast to secure your place in this unique opportunity to experience Bordeaux like never before.
