Make Ailing Kids Happy

There are no perfect lives, only perfect moments.” All it takes is a glass of fine vin blanc or vin rouge from Château Pape Clément in Bordeaux to relive them.

It is a vision of perfection as I witness a magnificent rainbow with the full spectrum of colors that seem to be hand-painted across the prestigious vintages of vineyards. At the exquisite Château Pape Clément in Pessac, Bordeaux, a sprawling French winegrowing region blessed with impeccable weather, the lush green grapes hang gleefully in neatly arranged endless rows. Morning dew drips gracefully on the ground as I imagine all the delightful wine that will soon be pressed from this fresh produce.

As my nieces Christel Boncan, Heather Turley, our family friend Loida Rapal and I begin to carefully pick bunches of these sun-ripened grapes, a cool crisp breeze stirs in the air, rain gently pours incessantly then slowly stops as the sun comes out again. In seemingly clockwork precision, this lovely cycle is repeated as though God’s omnipotent hands are orchestrating the weather to produce the finest wine in the world.

Ideally located in southwest France, close to the chic resorts of the Cote d’ Argent and just two hours from the Pyrenees Mountains, the Unesco World Heritage city of Bordeaux is one of the most revered names in the world of wine, with over 2,000 years of winemaking history and a wealth of technical expertise.

The region is a fascinating mix of stately 18th century chateaus in the Medoc, 1,000-year-old towns and villages in Saint–Emilion and the Libournais and the recently renovated city centre with its abundance of wine bars and gourmet restaurants. In fact, it is here, before we embark on a wine tour in the chateau, where we have a hearty breakfast of the largest hot buttery crusted croissant with freshly churned butter, strawberry, orange jams with wild honey, country style eggs and ham, a variety of delightful cheese, hot chocolate and aromatic coffee. Shortly after, the vineyard tour begins.

The different wine regions in Bordeaux are easy to explore with more and more properties offering exciting experiences to the wine tourist, from hands-on workshops in cru classe chateaus to horse riding through the vines in the rolling hills of Entre-Deux-Mers.

Echoed in every detail of this stately manor, once the home of Pope Clement V, are vestiges of papal holiness — from the well-appointed rooms with Holy Bibles, anecdotes about Pope Clement V, the robes and holy chair of the distinguished pope, artifacts, paintings, embroideries, fine porcelain, silk, china, antiques combined with modern luxuries of fine marbled bathrooms. We never realized that a wine tour in a luxurious chateau could ever be such a holy experience!

A wine tour led by charming Claire Ballarin taught us many new things we ought to know about wine and wineries. In 1252, the first vine was planted here. In 1299-1305, Bernard Clement V, the first Pope of Avignon, lived in this magnificent chateau. In 1314, after the death of Clement V, the sprawling property was donated to the church which owned it for five centuries till the French Revolution. It was sold to private citizens till Bernard Magrez purchased it in 1986; he was the fifth owner. Bernard Magrez, a seasoned wine maker, owns 37 wineries all over the world. He has wineries in Spain, Portugal, Napa Valley, Uruguay and Morocco.

We later learned that this chateau was built in 1864, a showcase of marvelous Neo-Gothic architecture. Currently, only guests of the owner Bernard Magrez, who holds office here, can stay at the chateau that has six spacious rooms that make you feel you have stepped back in time to 13th-century royalty. Nobody lives in the chateau. We were indeed very fortunate that our dear friends Bobby and Ralph Joseph, owners of Ralph’s Wines and Spirits in the Philippines, made special arrangements for us to visit the chateau and sample their finest wines that will soon be available in Manila. Just as the gracious Joseph brothers described it, “Château Pape Clément is a sight you witness only in fairy tales.”

Magrez has erected chapels in every chateau, a beautiful testimony of allegiance to God’s providence. Do you know that 95 percent of the production of Château Pape Clément till 2009 has already been sold at the negotiation de Bordeaux where the first produce of his investment grade wines is traded?

Investment Grade Wines are primarily the best wines from Bordeaux that have been around for centuries; they last for decades and improve with the passage of time. Their premium pricing and consistent price increases are a reflection of the market’s recognition of their consistent quality. Less than one percent of all wines worldwide are investment grade and Bordeaux wines make up the majority of these. In 1855, a classification system was set up to categorize not only the wine producer but his actual physical vineyard area, meaning this restricts the chateaux from increasing their classified vineyard size even while the demand is constantly increasing. This ensures that the quality of the wine remains consistent. Magrez is quick to enthuse, “When I taste the wine, I envision the land. I know exactly from which part of the vineyard these grapes came from.”

Another magnificent attraction in the lavish Château Pape Clément is the glass roof of Gustav Eiffel, the architect of the Eiffel Tower. Magrez spotted this structure and purchased the building to be a wine school, an art gallery and a show room to welcome 100 people.

We prayed at the Vault, a very sacred chapel in the basement of the chateau, and knelt before the altar. It was a very reverent experience listening to the pious music that resembled the Latin choir of old. There has always been a chapel on the property but it was not located here exactly. This chapel was blessed by the archbishop of Bordeaux in 1997. A marble statue of the Pope Clément is located opposite the chapel. After we had paid our respects, Claire led us to the private wine cellar of the Magrez family where fine wine dating back to the 18th century is lovingly stored.

Claire informed us that Château Pape Clément is composed of 30 hectares of red vines and 2.5 hectares of white vines. The red grape varietals found here are cabernet sauvignon (60 percent) and merlot (40 percent). The white varieties include sauvignon (45 percent), semillon (45 percent), muscadelle (five percent) and sauvignon gris (five percent). The average age of vines is 30 years old; the oldest are 70 years old and the youngest are eight years old. The yield is between 30 and 40 hectolitres per hectare. At Château Pape Clément, one vine produces only one bottle. A vine plant produces about 20 bunches. But this chateau prefers quality to quantity, that’s why it just keeps between eight to 10 bunches.

Every year, the chateau produces 90,000 bottles of Château Pape Clément red wine, 40,000 bottles of Clémentin red wine, 8,000 bottles of Château Pape Clement white wine and 4,000 bottles of Clémentin white wine.

The harvest comes in September or October, depending on the maturity of the grapes. The grapes are exclusively handpicked. There are collected in 10-kg crates in order not to damage the grapes and are then transported to the vat house with 28 oak vats.

Claire said, “We don’t crush the grapes, we put them directly in the vat. When they fall in the vat, they burst and the skin goes back up to the top of the vat. This solid part is called the ‘cap’ (skin and pips).The liquid part is the ‘must.’”

The entire luxury wine tour experience at Château Pape Clément was simply intoxicating. After sampling many of their fine reds which offer elegance, finesse, full body and soft tannins, we enjoyed their white wines which were dry, crisp, with remarkable bouquet as well as sweet, rich nectared dessert wines which we brought home for the family. Our joy is doubled as we cap the wine tasting with a sumptuous wine dinner of melt-in-your-mouth foie gras, melted brie and camembert with fig jam and candied walnuts with freshly baked baguette, tender steak in mustard and pepper sauce with creamy buttery mashed potato, crème brûlée and chamomile tea.

Traveling many miles to share these fine gifts with family and friends certainly ushers in the beautiful feeling of coming home. In Manila, upon our return from an exhilarating trip to the Château Pape Clément, we share at once our experience with brothers Ralph and Bobby Joseph. As we sip the sweet wine, we toast among ourselves as we exclaim in unison, “There are no perfect lives, only perfect, privileged moments.”

What more can one ask for?

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Château Pape Clément is located in the commune of Pessac, south-west of the city of Bordeaux. For further information, visit its website at www.pape-clement.com.


By Christine S. Dayrit
The Philippine Star