Meandering With Murphy

Tuesday April 23 and we were off to taste chocolates. We found out we were not only going to taste chocolate but meet a master chocolatier, one of only ten in France. Patrick Brossard makes chocolate and has a shop in La Reole.

He believes in making pure chocolate products. He sources his chocolate from the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mexico and Costa Rica. He is very interested in sustainable farming and he supports a village that grows cocoa beans in the Ivory Coast. He had been there several times and is helping the young people and supporting their education.

There can be 30 pods/tree; 40 to 50 beans/pod and it takes 400 beans to make a pound.

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Now Patrick demonstrated the process for making solid chocolates in a mold.

And now it was our turn to try our hand at making chocolate. Whose technique is better?

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Each year Peter D’Souza a professor at UW Stout brings 10 culinary students to Bordeaux Rouge for a Bordeaux experience. Part of their visit includes making chocolates with Patrick. Professor D’Souza awarded Patrick a special medal. Our daughter Kris had him as a professor when she went to Stout.

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After a wonderful lunch at Le Boeuf Pop in Bazas (Scott and I split a Bazas beef hamburger) we went for a tour of Chateau de Villandraut. Chateau de Villandraut is a ruined castle built by Bertrand de Goth in the 1300’s. He would become Pope Clement V. He was Pope from June 1305 until his death in 1314. He was the Pope who moved the Papacy from Rome to Avignon. It was his residence during his stay in this area.

The construction was completed within seven years which was quite fast for this era. It is rectangular shaped and has six massive towers. It had spacious well-lit apartments one would expect for a powerful man. There was a drawbridge and multiple arrow slits.

Unfortunately Clement V died two years after its completion and it soon left his family’s ownership. The castle has been classified since 1886 as a monument historique.

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After the castle we headed to Chateau La Peyere for a special treat. It was Kurt’s birthday and Julien was preparing a special dinner for him at the Chateau! The Chateau owners graciously let us celebrate there.

It was in 1752 that Raymond de Lassus a negotiate, banker anointed as secretary of the Roy in Bordeaux, built the chateaux on the property of his ancestors who had property and vineyards since the 16th century. He built a boat, also called La Peyrere whose coat of arms remains engraved on the chimney of the castle. The boat was a 2 mast or 3 mast boat anchored in the port of Bordeaux. It was used to transport barrels of La Peyrere around the world.

Catherine Lucas has always had a passion for wine. Being from Bordeaux, she grew up in a region strongly influenced by the culture of the vine. She is one of only of few female winemakers in Bordeaux.

It was in 2003 that she has the opportunity to realize her vocation: to create her own wines thanks to the acquisition of the castle Peyrère du Tertre in Savignac. Fallen under the spell of this property, she along with her family renovated it with passion and to produce with care a great wine. The castle has become their home and center of interest.

The Chateau is beautiful and very homey inside.

We had a walk outside and then a talk by Jonathan, Catherine’s son. He is not hands on in the vineyard as he and his father run a successful robotics business.

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Two of their wines that we had with our dinner. These wines are so good. It is a shame we cannot get them in the US. Another night Scott and I had a bottle of Catherine Lucas 2009 Bordeaux Superieur with dinner. It was about 30 Euro. A similar wine in the US would sell for over $70. It was that good.

And now onto the birthday celebration!