Wine Tasting and Tapas at Château Boutinet in Bordeaux, France
Located on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, Château Boutinet is a must visit for wine tasting on your next trip to the wine capital of the world. This family-owned winery boasts an eighteenth century château overlooking 25 hectares of vines. Like at most small wineries, the tasting experience here is unique, and the family makes you feel at home as soon as you arrive.
The limestone clay soils and south-facing hillsides are the ideal conditions for Château Boutinet’s signature grape, Merlot. The winery produces about 12,000 bottles (1,000 cases) per year, making it a boutique or small production winery. Note: If you want to learn more about small production wine and why it matters, read this post.
Wife and husband Nathalie and Jérôme purchased the property in 2011 with dreams to one day renovate the historic château into a bed and breakfast, but for now, they are sharing their passion for hospitality with one-of-a-kind winery experiences like yoga and wine, vineyard tours, and wine and tapas in the garden.
Wine Tasting and Tapas at Château Boutinet in Bordeaux, France
With experience in Saumur Champigny and Pomerol, Jérôme leads winegrowing and winemaking at the estate, describing his work with their vineyards as “an irresistible impulse towards old stones that are lacking neither charm nor personality.” The vineyard might be nothing special to a local, but as a first-timer in Bordeaux, I thought the historic château coupled with vineyard views and Nathalie and Jérôme’s warmth was nothing short of charming.
18th century castle on the Château Boutinet property
The Wines + Farming
Located within the Fronsac AOC of Bordeaux’s Right Bank, Château Boutinet specializes in Merlot, but the couple doesn’t let the restrictions of the appellation dampen their creativity. They also produce a refreshing white wine blend of Sauvignon Gris, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, and Chardonnay (not traditional to the region), as well as Clairet.
Their wines are crafted to be shared with friends and paired with aperitifs. They’re round and flavorful, but not too bold…“fruity, but with finesse.”
Château Boutinet’s 25 hectares of vines average an age of 40 years, and the family is expanding by planting new vines. Nathalie and Jérôme value people and the environment above all else, which is evident in their conversion to organic farming in 2013 and their continued efforts towards biodynamic farming.
The Visit
That morning, Nathalie gave us an introduction to Bordeaux wines at the iconic l‘Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux (Bordeaux Wine School) in the city center. Soon after, we headed out to the countryside to visit her winery (about a 30 minutes drive).
After we toured the vineyards and admired the historic château, the family had set up picnic chairs for us under the shade of a towering oak tree, with a perfect vantage point of the stunning castle and its surrounding vines.
Nathalie and Jérôme welcomed us to their home with homemade tapas, and of course, great wine. We spent hours relaxing with the couple, as they continued to pour the wine and serve ample amounts of food.
We began with the winery’s only white wine, 2021 Jeriko de Boutinet Blanc - a harmonious blend of Sauvignon Gris, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, and Chardonnay - paired with smoked salmon crostini and olive tapenade with bread. Vinified in amphorae to preserve its fruity flavors, this was a perfect thirst quencher in the Bordeaux heat wave, and the salty snacks helped this aromatic, refreshing wine shine.
Note: This wine falls into the IGP classification because these grape varieties are not permitted within the Fronsac AOC, an appellation which only permits red wines.
When the food began to arrive, we were greeted by their larger than life Saint Bernard, Jeriko, who’s also the star of their white and Clairet wine labels.
We tasted Jeriko’s 2020 Le Clairet de Boutinet, a deep rosé style of wine produced from 100% Merlot. Clairet is made with a longer period of maceration than rosé, extracting more color and tannins from the skins into the final wine, which is served chilled. It’s not as light as a typical rosé, but not as powerful as a red wine. Note: If you’re interested in learning about how rosé is made, check out this post.
This wine is full-bodied for a rosé and exploding with juicy red fruits. It’s the perfect crowd-pleasing wine, even for those who “don’t like rosé”. It paired well with the baguette and a tomato-anchovy spread, but it’s certainly a wine that goes down easily without any food on a hot summer day.
Like any true French dining experience, the food seemed never-ending, and the wine kept flowing as we moved onto the reds.
We enjoyed a glass of the 2018 Château Boutinet Grand Vin de Bordeaux, which is aged entirely in stainless steel to maintain its fruity flavors and showcase the terroir. This is an approachable, easy-drinking Merlot with black and red fruit flavors and smooth tannins.
The next snack was a specialty of Jérôme’s and a classic of the Aquitaine region: grilled duck. If there’s anything I learned in Bordeaux, it’s that duck and the region’s red wines are perfectly compatible. The gamey flavors of the duck allow the black fruits and cocoa dust of the Merlot to shine, and the fat of the bird also smooths the wine’s tannins.
We finished with Nathalie’s gluten-free chocolate cake - the ideal match for a rich Merlot like the 2018 Thalie de Boutinet from Bordeaux Supérieur. This wine was aged in barrels for 15 months, but no new oak was used, which made for a balanced wine that is full and flavorful, but not too intense.
This chocolate and wine pairing was the perfect way to end our visit with Nathalie and Jérôme. Their hospitality is unmatched and they are willing to welcome anyone who has a love of wine and food with open arms.
I highly recommend booking a wine tasting and tapas experience at Château Boutinet next time you visit Bordeaux. You can also relax with a yoga class led by Nathalie in the yurt on property, or enjoy a walking tour of the vineyards, followed by wine tasting.
If you’re looking for more wine tasting experiences in Bordeaux, you might enjoy this post about a wine pairing dinner at Château Ambe Tour Pourret in Saint-Émilion.
And if you would like to learn more about wine, be sure to join our Wine Tasting Club community that allows you to connect with wine lovers around the world and be a part of at least two virtual wine tastings per month (plus so many more perks)! You can also check out our upcoming sommelier-led virtual and in-person wine tasting events or book a private wine tasting experience here.
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