The last time we were in Burgundy, we didn’t leave time to visit Chateau de Savigny-les-Beaunes, which was disappointing. This time we vowed to visit and we were happy that we did.
Chateau de Savigny-les-Beaune makes good wines, is a beautiful chateau and also is home to an eclectic museum of vehicles of all types. From motorcycles to warplanes to race cars to vintage cars: you name it, they have it. It’s just one of those quirky places that you need to see.
We had a perfect day to walk around the chateau grounds. It was in the mid 70’s, sunny and there was just a bit of a breeze. It literally took just ten minutes to get there and they even had a free parking lot.
There was a €12 fee that gave you all day access to the grounds and chateau. Once you pay, you’re free to wander.
Abarthe Race CarsMotorcycles from the 1910’s to the 1920’sMotorcycles with side carsGreat hall of motorcyclesTelecom satellite Fire fighting equipmentHorse drawn carriageHorse drawn hearseLooks like the Air Force is readyVintage fighter jetVietnam era fighterRockets next?
On the way back to Beaune, we scoped out the car rental return and looked for a gas station. We found both, but since our car took diesel, we needed to find a different gas station. We found one a short ways away, but it was fully automated and wouldn’t take the credit card. So…we decided to just pay a bit extra and let them refill it at Hertz.
For the remainder of the afternoon, we decided to relax and do some people watching. Our final dinner in Beaune was at Le Grand Bleu. It’s mainly a seafood restaurant, but they do have other choices. It’s tucked into a little corner of the town and just a five minute walk from the hotel.
We started out a little rocky, as they didn’t have our reservation. After a little discussion, the owner said he could squeeze us in. He seemed rather stressed and we realized that he was doing everything but the cooking and everyone seemed to arrive at the same time.
It took a little while for him to get back to us for beverages, but when we ordered a wine that was a favorite of his, he took a liking to us and it appeared that he fast-tracked our order. Others who arrived before us hadn’t placed their orders yet and we were enjoying our wine and appetizers.
We ended up having a wonderful meal and a very nice evening. The owner was very friendly and took great care of us. A nice stroll back to the hotel would be a perfect end to our time in Beaune.
We woke up a bit earlier so we could eat breakfast and then go explore the various stalls, as today was Market Day. Lots of vendors and lots of people -most seemingly enjoying all the interactions and sales.
There was music being played in the bandstand in the Place Carnot, which was just a few steps from our hotel. While I was getting dressed, I thought I heard accordion music. Upon further review, the rest of the band joined in with him. They were playing Gypsy Jazz and we hurried getting ready so we could enjoy them for a while.
Cliquez vous to feel French.
Much like the market in Chablis, there was a blend of vendors and artisans. There was also a brocante or thrift area with all sorts of items for sale.
Scenes from the market
Unfortunately, we had to move along. We had a reservation for an 11:30 tour and tasting, plus lunch at Domaine Comte Senard in Aloxe-Corton. The drive from Beaune only takes fifteen minutes, but finding a parking spot will take about the same amount of time.
Aloxe-Corton is a very small village. They told us that only one hundred people live there. The main livelihood there is wine. We saw two hotels and six wineries, a church and the road out of town.
When we arrived at the Domaine, we were greeted by our host, Baptiste and taken on a short tour of the grounds. The property is beautiful and has some nice views over the surrounding vineyards. The vineyards date back to 1857 when Jules Senard planted six hectares. Today, they have nine hectares and the wine-making duties have passed through the family down to Lorraine Senard, great grand-daughter of Jules.
Around Domaine Comte Senard
They had a secret cellar that was found by one of the gardeners. It was behind a door that had stone piled in front of it for years. The cellar was over 800 years old and was dug by the monks. It was interesting and creepy at the same time.
Ancient cave and soil the vines grow through – limestone and clay
Next we headed inside for our lunch and tasting. The lunch included a tasting of six of the domaine’s grand cru wines – two whites and four reds. The meal started with some gougères (warm cheese puffs), then a pork terrine with salad greens. The main plate was bœuf bourguignon with potatoes dauphinois (cheesy potatoes) and then dessert was a warm gingerbread tart with a cassis filling.
Lunch was delicious, as were most of the wines, and they paired well with the food. Our favorite wine was the white, that we had two different vintages of. Since we were more enamored with the white wines, Baptiste let us try another wine that wasn’t Chardonnay.
Baptiste sneaking Sue “just a wee bit more”
It was a Pinot Beurot (Pinot Gris) that we enjoyed very much. So if you’ve been counting along, this turned into our fifth mixed case of wine that will meet us at home.
Domaine Comte Senard was certainly worth visiting. It’s a family run domaine that makes very nice wines. They were very friendly and were wonderful hosts.
Before heading back to Beaune, we made sure to drive up to get a look at Corton Hill. It’s intriguing to think that this particular spot is where every producer tries to buy land. Some of you probably have backyards that are larger than some of the climats being tended here. But they make some great wines from those small climats.
🎶 We found our thrill on Corton Hill 🎶View from Corton Hill
Back in Beaune, we just relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon. A little snooze helped to refresh us too.
Dinner time rolled around and we had a reservation at Le Carmin. I was looking forward to eating there, as I had read about it online and most of the reviews were great. We even had to dress up a little bit as it’s billed as a more refined restaurant (and surprisingly, they accepted our reservation).
It’s been fun trying to speak as much French as we can. Once we try, we’ve noticed that most of the folks are very encouraging. Tonight was no different, our host and servers were extremely nice and just helped us over a few rough spots.
As for the meal, it was another dandy one. It was a five course tasting menu, plus an amuse-bouche and after dinner petit-fours. Our wine for the meal was a bottle of 2020 Méo-Camuzet Chambolle-Musigny.
The meal itself consisted of Duck Foix-grois, lobster fricassée, roast bœuf fillet, a cheese plate and dessert – Sue had a soufflé and I had a fig tart. Everything was delicious and the restaurant exceeded our expectations.
Le Carmin Meal Highlights
The finale of the evening was the grueling two minute walk back to the hotel, but we persevered. Change clothes, wash up and we both blissfully dozed off; another great day having passed.
As a refresher…On Monday we drove up to Gevrey-Chambertin and then headed backed to Beaune, passing through Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot, Nuits St. George and Aloxe-Corton.
While Jan and Dave headed off to Avignon for a few days, Sue and I decided to explore some of the other white wine regions over the weekend. So with that in mind, we drove south to Chassagne-Montrachet to start things off.
We stopped by the Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet for a photo op, then kept going along the route and through the vineyards until we reached Puligny-Montrachet. It’s a cute little town with a small amount of restaurants and a few other shops that we passed by. While driving through the vineyards, we passed through Batard-Montrachet. I was surprised that there weren’t armed guards in those vineyards.
Our first real stop was in Puligny-Montrachet for a lunch tasting at Bistro d’Olivier. What a wonderful way to enjoy the afternoon !
L’hôtel Olivier Laflaive
One highlight was having an older gentleman come to our table and introduce himself. It was Olivier Leflaive. He was very friendly and asked where we came from, even knowing that there really is not a distribution network there, but did say that NYC and Boston should have plenty that we could get. Such a delight to meet and talk with him.
The second highlight was tasting seven Domaine Olivier Leflaive wines while enjoying a scrumptious lunch.
The menu with the meal
Upon finishing, we treated ourselves to a glass of Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne. We savored every drop and pouted when it was gone. To ease our pain, we put some numbers on an order form that will ensure that we will enjoy more wines when we get home.
Moving on, we next stopped in Meursault. We drove through the picturesque town and then stopped at the Chateau de Meursault for another photo op. Overall, it was a lovely ride on a beautiful day.
Vineyards leading to Meursault
Just a few more pictures from the vineyards as we drove through.
The Southern Route des Grand Crus
Arriving back in Beaune, we needed to rest up a bit before dinner. Tonight we were trying La Tavola Calda for something a little different. It’s an Italian restaurant specializing in pizzas.
It was a rather quiet night in Beaune. We walked over to the restaurant and had our pick of tables. All the tourists must have moved on, as there seemed to be tables open at many of the restaurants.
No matter. We each ordered a pizza, got a pichet of wine and truly enjoyed our evening. The owner stopped over and we chatted a bit. We managed to remember a few Italian words and phrases and ended up being offered a glass of his homemade Limoncello. A perfect way to end the evening.
We walked back to the hotel and washed up for bed. We were tired from driving…or maybe the wine had something to do with it. No, it HAD to be the driving!
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So we have a final recap on the caramels…
They were all tres bon! It is very likely that we will be stopping back when we return to Paris.
We had to make the call to hang out in town again. My back just couldn’t take the cobblestones and climbing stone stairs today. It was very disappointing as I was looking forward to visiting the castles and singing songs while we drove along.
Jan and Dave thought about going back to Dijon, but ended up visiting some other places in town instead. They even took a ride on the tourist train and visited the Hôtel Dieu.
Sue and I took a little walk around town, only walking where the sidewalk or streets were flat.
View along the ramparts.
That might sound funny, but we did find an awesome little patisserie along the way. We picked up sandwiches, pastries, little bear-shaped spice cookies and gougères and had our own little picnic.
Mmmm… Chocolate eclairs!
We even had a bottle of wine from our hotel stash. They were nice enough to let us put it in the refrigerator to chill for a bit….so it wasn’t a total washout of a day.
As this will be our last day together for a few days, we booked a table at Caves Madeleine for a semi-farewell dinner.
The restaurant is very small and we were seated at a communal table. It wasn’t exactly what I was planning, but it actually worked out fine. We had a really nice dinner and two bottles of delicious wine.
As an added bonus, the people next to us were very nice and when there was a break in the action, we got to share a little chat with them. They were from Korea and just arrived that morning after a twenty hour flight. The poor guy looked dead tired; the woman was just excited to be there. The ice-breaker: a Scorpion’s song playing in the kitchen that the woman and I both liked.
At times it was a little bit loud, but once people started eating it quieted down. Our servers were a delight and although very busy, were friendly and attentive. They were pleasantly surprised when I asked if we could include them in our pictures.
Oh, our meals. Sue and Jan had a chicken quenelle, while David and I had the roasted pollock fish. A bowl of mashed potatoes for us to share was brought over and then the forks did their job – yum!
We took a pleasant walk back to the hotel, said our good-byes, exchanged hugs and parted.
Jan and Dave were headed to Avignon in the morning, while Sue and I are staying in Beaune. We’ll meet back up in Paris after the weekend.
For our next adventure, we grabbed a train to visit Dijon. Ok, so technically we just bought tickets for the train, but I swear, I could have been the engineer – I ate my share of Good-n-Plenty growing up.
After purchasing our tickets, we caught the next available train for the thirty minute ride up to Dijon. While Beaune is considered the wine capital of Burgundy, Dijon is considered the capital. It is a fairly large city, with an old town that we centered our walk through.
I wanted to follow the Owl!
Dijon adopted the Owl (Chouette) as a symbol for the city and uses it as a guide for tourists The Owl’s Trail (le parcours de la chouette) uses the owl to mark the trail of roughly twenty-two sites around the old town..
We made a brief stop at the Tourist office to get a guidebook and then off we went – to lunch. We stopped at a Brasserie that was recommended by the guy at the info office. And then we were off.
Jan and Dave went to the Palace of the Dukes and the museum of Beaux Arts, while Sue and I went back to follow the Owl.
Before we went back to our starting point, we stopped into St Michael’s Church and the Musée Rude.
So finally, we made the Cathedral of Notre-Dame our first stop. It dates back to the thirteenth century and while maybe not as ornate as the cathedral in Paris, it still brings in parishioners and tourists.
The original Owl is carved on the corner of the Église Notre-Dame. Local tradition says if you rub the owl with your left hand and make a wish, your wish will come true. Not wanting to be selfish, I made a wish that included all our friends and loved ones. I hope it comes true! PS…I avoided that pesky dragon too!
Old town Dijon was really interesting with its mix of extravagance and simplicity. The Duke’s Palace is quite a contrast to the old wooden houses of the everyday individual. The following pictures will give you a glance at what we enjoyed.
By the time we finished walking around, we were warm (the weather was beautiful), we were tired and one of us was hurting. We met back up with Jan and Dave and decided to head back to Beaune.
We made our way back to the train station and only had to wait a few minutes for the next train. Thirty minutes later, we were back at the Gare de Beaune and made the short walk back to the hotel to crash for the evening.
It was a very nice day, but a tiring one. We showered and just rested for the evening. How tired? ‘We skipped dinner’ tired!
Today we celebrated David’s birthday. It started as a nice relaxing day in Beaune and finished up with a scrumptious dinner. Let me tell you about it…
After a few busy days, we decided to just relax in town today. Actually, my co-travelers knew my back was hurting and wanted to give me a chance to rest it a bit. We split up for the day with Jan and Dave exploring on foot, while Sue and I took an easy stroll before taking a ride on the tourist train in the afternoon.
Since we had until 2:00 pm for our ride, we stopped for a nice lunch. The location was called Restaurant Le Fleury and was on a side street that had shade to sit in. I intended to have a hamburger, but ended up with a steak that was delicious. Sue had a chicken dish that was also “trés yummy” as per Sue. We had some wine and ended up very happy we had stopped there.
We had just enough time to stop back at the hotel before scurrying over to catch our ride .
The train ride lasts about forty minutes and is just a loop around the center of town with a side trip over to the vineyards that are located in the original town. Not fancy, just relaxing and seeing the sites.
After the train ride, we went back to the hotel and I rested up before getting ready for dinner.
The big birthday dinner was at a restaurant called 21 Boulevard. It was just a short walk from the hotel on this delightful evening. We were seated in a vaulted wine cellar room, which provided suitable ambience.
The dinner was delicious and we had some great wines. When dessert was being prepped, I saw our waiter lighting up a sparkler. He and the hostess then delivered them from behind Dave while many joined in to sing happy birthday. He was surprised, which made it all the better.
As we were leaving, a couple diners wished him happy birthday.
From the restaurant, it was just a five minute walk back to the hotel. Nice day, great evening and then a good night’s rest.
Burgundy’s Route des Grands Crus or literally, “Road of great wines”. Is it just some wine street in France or is it an enchanting road through and along some of the best vineyards in all of France? As stated in a favorite French movie – “it’s all about perspective!”. I’ll describe it and you can decide for yourself.
In the Bourgogne or Burgundy region, as it’s known to many people, the French vignerons grow grapes that are well known to most wine drinkers – mainly chardonnay and pinot noir. However, while those grape varietals are grown elsewhere, they do not produce the same magnificent wines. There’s no magic involved in making the wines, but there is the terroir, which is unmatched anywhere in the world.
What is terroir and why are the French hoarding it?
Terroir is everything about growing grapes, besides the grapes themselves. It’s the soil, the amount of sunshine and wind, the position of the vineyard, the slope of the vineyard, the amount of rain, and the temperature. These all factor into the growing of the vines and the grapes they produce. It’s that certain something that is everywhere, but not quite the same anywhere. I’m not a scholar, but you can read more about terroir if you are interested.
Back on topic, back on topic. So the Route des Grand Crus…
This fabulous area in France that grows these wonderful grapes is called the Côte d’Or. It’s literal translation is the “Golden Hillside”. It stretches from Dijon in the north to Santenay in the south. It’s a 60 km long route that winds its way through and between 37 wine villages centered by churches with soaring steeples, wineries and distinctive chateaux with their tall turrets and beautiful gardens.
Not to be overlooked between and around every town, village or hamlet are the vineyards growing grapes that will become some of the best and most expensive wines to be enjoyed in the years to come.
We are visiting in late September. The harvest has been completed, so the vineyards or Climats as they are called in the Bourgogne are resting, having done their job. Now the winemakers take their turn to craft the grapes into wonderful wines.
We four started our journey by driving north from our base in Beaune to the area known as the Côte de Nuits and more specifically, the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. It’s a small village, but boasts some mighty fine wines.
After a short walk through the village, we stopped at Domaine Philippe Leclerc for a little breakfast tasting.
Before our wine tasting, we took a short tour – not of the winery, but rather of the eclectic Antique Winemaking Equipment Museum and wine caves in the cellar.
With our tour complete, we went back upstairs for the wine tasting. They produce red wines of both ‘Village’ status and Premier Cru. They’ve had a tough couple of years with both drought and frost issues. Sadly, I wasn’t really overwhelmed or even whelmed by the wines. But, we did like the man who led our tasting. He was straightforward and burdened with their wine problems.
There were many people riding bikes along the route and all I could think was “I’m gonna get to the next tasting first!” Sorry, just a brief digression.
Leaving the village, the next one we came to was Morey-Saint-Denis. We drove through the narrow, twisting streets before continuing on to the next village of Chambolle-Musigny.
Just a little bit down the road we came upon Vougeot, home to the famed Clos De Vougeot.
My excitement was building as Vosne-Romanée was only 3 km away. It is the home of the Domaine Romanee Conte, and some of the most sought after Burgundy wines in the world. This would be the most incredible almost wine tasting I have ever participated in. While we couldn’t taste their wines, we did stop to see their vineyards.
At the Romanée Conte Vineyards
Before exiting Vosne-Romanée, we needed to get some lunch. We went to a very unique place called La Cuverie de Vosne. They have a wine bar, an organic grocery store, hotel rooms and conference rooms. We opted to taste a wine and shared a charcuterie board and a cheese board. It’s really a great place to relax and unwind with excellent wines and good food. We did stop in the store before leaving to take a peek.
Yes, those really ARE big zucchini on the table.
Back on the road, we headed off towards Nuits-Saint-Georges passing by more wonderful vineyards. Some people find beauty in trees or flowers or rainforests, I just think that vineyards are right up there with the other flora.
Aloxe-Corton arrives a bit down the route and was our first stop in the Côte de Beaune. We made a point of passing by and gazing up at Corton Hill. It is the home to so many awesome white wines.
We cruised by Savigny-Les-Beaunes on our way back to Beaune. We couldn’t stop everywhere along the route, but we saw enough vineyards and wines for one day.
So, just a wine street in France? Hardly!
A pilgrimage route for lovers of red or white burgundies? Definitely!
Everyone we encountered along the way was extremely nice and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Tasting fees at the wineries can cost anywhere from €5 to €75. The higher fees usually included tasting of Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines. There is an anticipation that you will purchase a bottle or two of wine, so many times the fee will be waved if you do buy a few bottles.
After resting up for a while, it was time for dinner. Dinner this evening was at Ma Cuisine. It’s a cozy little restaurant serving traditional burgundian dishes and they have a 20,000 plus bottle wine cellar. Unfortunately, Jan was a bit under the weather and wasn’t able to join us.
Sue and I both had the boeuf bourguignon and Dave had a salmon and cod dish. I also started with a seared duck foie gras, while Dave had a terrine. Sue just got an extra plate and sampled from both our plates.
We did manage to find one or two we liked that happened to pair well with our meals. A Chassagne-Montrachet and a Nuit St. Georges – Lucky us!
We started off the day with breakfast before checking out of the hotel. We loved Chablis and can see ourselves returning to see the things we missed.
After packing up the car, we walked over to the main road in town to explore a bit of the weekly market. We think the townsfolk hid on Saturday, awaiting for this day. On market day, everyone was out in the sunshine and socializing with their neighbors and friends.
There were vendors selling just about everything. Meats, cheeses, vegetables, prepared foods, sausages, breads, homemade pastas, raviolis and fresh fish were abundant. You could also find kitchen utensils, linens, clothing, leather belts and wallets, jewelry, and handcrafted decorative items. Still not what you’re looking for? How about chairs, mattresses, wicker baskets and candy ?
Needless to say, we really enjoyed perusing the stalls and watching the people. It was a wonderful social event.
Alas, it was time to go. The drive from Chablis to Beaune takes about two hours and cuts through some pretty scenery. You can get there faster on the highway, but you miss enjoying all the little towns. It takes a little longer if you mess up the GPS directions too!
Chablis Vineyards
Some of the roads that pass through the small towns and villages can be pretty narrow, even for just two cars. You’re going 90 km/h then 70km/hr, then 50 km/hr in the distance of 200 meters. But we got the hang of it pretty quickly.
The road less traveled.
When we did arrive in Beaune, we made our way through a couple of narrow cobblestone streets before getting to our hotel. We stayed at Le Central Boutique Hotel. It is literally in the center of town and puts us in a position to easily walk to dinner and see the sights of the town.
Our hotel in Beaune
The hotel has four floors and about thirty rooms. There is a lounge and outdoor seating if you’d like a drink or just a place to relax.
Once we were checked in and our car was parked, we took a nice walk around town then found a cafe with a bottle of Rosé with our name on it. In the meantime, Jan and Dave found a place for a bite to eat.
Chilling on a sunny afternoon
We ate dinner at the Brasserie Le Carnot. It’s a small place just a short walk from the hotel. It was a simple little place and cute on the inside. Our waitress spoke just a little English, the food was delicious and we had a very enjoyable evening.
Before the crowds arrive
We returned back to the hotel early to get a good night’s sleep. We have a full day planned for Monday, and the rest will do us good.
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Ps…. Some people noted that the small pictures are hard to see. You can tap on the pictures to enlarge them.
We woke up once again to some rain. Luckily, it passed by early and things were drying up by the time we were ready to head out. We have three wine tastings planned for the day and our first one was a breakfast tasting that started at 10:30 am.
The first tasting was at Domaine Laroche, which just so happened to be right across the street from our hotel. However, the tasting room was up the street and around the corner. We gathered with the rest of our group, met our tasting leader and then headed over to the winery for a brief tour.
Domaine Laroche BoutiqueOur tasting leader
The building was originally a monastery for Cistercian Monks back in the Eleventh century. They prayed on one side and made wine on the other side. I presumed they were praying that the wine turned out good.
Inside, we saw the barrel cellar where wine from the current harvest was beginning the macération process. It was like watching the grandkids taking their first steps.
Just five days old
Then we went into a room which contained a 15th century wooden wine press – that still works! Currently it is more for ceremonial purposes, but it was interesting to see.
Next we walked back over to the tasting room to taste some wine. We tasted their range of wines – Petite Chablis, Chablis, Premier Crus and Grand Crus. We enjoyed them all, with the Chablis Saint Martin and Premier Cru ‘Les Clos’ being favored by all of us. As a special treat, we were able to taste some of the freshly pressed juice that was just starting the fermentation process. We ended up buying two bottles of wine for the room and getting a free tasting pass for Maison Champy in Beaune.
Tasting room was set up like a Chemistry lab.Newly pressed juice
Our next stop was a lunch break. Jan and Dave stopped at the corner grocery store, while Sue and I bought sandwiches at a small bakery. A nice ham and French cheese sandwich on a crunchy, fresh baguette was a perfect lunch.
We started with a tour of the facilities. They had just finished their harvest and pressing last week, so the smell of the grape juice lingered in the air. It’s like a seductive perfume pulling you in to some forbidden place – luckily we were invited, so we didn’t get into trouble.
Stainless steel tanks and the press in the background.
We walked through the pressing room and then went down to the barrel room where the new crushed juice was just relaxing.
The barrel room
After the tour, we were all ready for the tasting. Our tasting consisted of five wines of increasing levels of the Chablis appellations, one Village, 2 Premier Cru and 2 Grand Crus. All of the wines were exceptional.
Since we had some time before our last tasting, we walked over to the Collegiate Church of Saint Martin of Tours. It’s really a cathedral, but because they don’t have a bishop, it can’t be called a cathedral. Such silly rules!
Back in the olden days, people would nail horseshoes to the door for good luck. Many of them are still there today – ten centuries later.
Very old horseshoes nailed to the door.
We had one last stop for the day and this time, it was just Sue and I. The tasting was at Domaine William Fevre. This is another renowned producer and we were not disappointed. In total, we tasted eleven wines, all exceptional Premier Crus and Grand Crus and they were all excellent.
William Fevre tasting roomIf you’re happy and you know it, raise your glass!
Now before you get all excited, the tastings were literally a splash of each wine, not a full glass. But we had a chance to compare the wines from each of their climats (vineyard parcels). And yes, there is more wine being shipped home.
Our final dinner in Chablis would be at Les Trois Bourgeons. It’s a small restaurant, opened by three Japanese friends, that has delicious traditional Burgundian food with a little Japanese touch. It was delightful and very reasonably priced.
This must be the place!
Honestly, I wish we were staying here for a few more days. There are so many interesting towns and villages nearby, plus it just feels relaxing.
After our visit to Provins, we continued on to the town of Chablis. It rained most of the way there, though not as hard. Along the way, we drove through mostly agricultural lands. There was an abundance of corn, sunflowers and hay fields as we wound our way through one small town after another.
Eventually, the farmland changed over to vineyards, so we knew we were getting close. Then the town names started to look familiar on the direction signs – Tonnerre, Auxerre and finally Chablis.
We stayed at the Hotel du Vieux Moulins (Hotel of the Old Mills). It is a property owned by Domaine Laroche and is a guesthouse located along the Serein River and at one point it was an old mill. These days, it is a very nice hotel, complete with a Michelin starred restaurant next door and a self-serve honor bar with delightful Laroche wines.
Hotel and common areas
While the hotel’s common space was great, our rooms were equally nice, spacious and comfortable. We had a large bedroom, two bathrooms, a sitting room and a lovely patio with a great view of the Grand Cru vineyards.
Our room
Arriving in the late afternoon after a stressful rain-plagued drive, we went to the lounge and enjoyed the first of what would be many wonderful Chablis wines. The honor bar was not stocked with mediocre wines and their prices were great. We went for the cost saving bottles rather than glasses.
After chilling out for a bit, Sue and I walked over to Chablis Wine Not, a wine bar that also serves meals, charcuterie and small plates to go along with the wines. It was a wonderful way to end the day.
Charcuterie and cheese platter
We ordered a nice bottle of Domaine Billaud-Simon chablis and paired it up with some tasty Iberian ham, a selection of cheeses, fresh crunchy bread and Japanese chicken bites. Everything was delicious, including the dessert of Creme fraîche with apricots and nuts.
It was a feast fit for a king that they were willing to serve to peasants – and we’re glad they did!
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For our first full day, we had planned on a day trip to Auxerre and Noyers-Sur-Serein. However, Mother Nature was still in a rainy mood, so we decided not to drive and then trudge around in the rain. So as far as Auxerre and Noyers-sur-Serein were concerned – we said: “Next time!”
The weather did clear up later in the afternoon, so we were at least able to get out and explore the town.
Again, it was like being transported back in time. The buildings and streets date back to the 15th century, with the area itself first being inhabited over 1100 years ago in the year 867. Lots of cute little shops and restaurants line the streets, along with some very good wineries.
The town was not crowded at all. In fact, it felt like everybody left for a few days. We expected crowds of tourists, but we were told it has been a quiet end-of-the-season.
Some sights from our walk around town.
Dinner was highly anticipated. We dined at Au Fil du Zinc, the fancy-pants restaurant next to our hotel. And let me tell you, it met and exceeded our expectations.
It was a seven course Chef’s tasting menu that we paired with a bottle of Domaine Nathalie & Gilles Fevre 1er Cru Chablis and a bottle of Gevry-Chambertin Red Burgundy. Both paired perfectly with the courses.
Forgive me for not remembering each specific course, but I was too busy enjoying them. Here is a run down of the meal:
Slightly Whirled - A Traveler's Tales 