Château Sérilhan

Standing in the baking midday heat, listening to the charming and energetic Didier Marcelis, at that time the proprietor of Château Sérilhan, recount his story and that of this family-owned estate, had been a joy. Nevertheless, I was glad when Didier suggested we hop into his car for a whistle-stop tour of the region, if only to remove myself from the glare of the midday sun. A few moments later, with a brief spin of the wheels and a small spray of dusty gravel, we were off.

This tour was nothing less than madcap. Within a few minutes of our departure from Château Sérilhan we had arrived at Calon-Ségur. We had no appointment, but nevertheless drove onto the estate and right down to the château, one which I find appealing in terms of its very solid appearance, an effect sadly spoiled by its rather drab, grey exterior (this was a long time ago of course – these days it has been handsomely refurbished). But we were not here to linger, and one photo-opportunity later we had to move on (before the guard dogs were released, perhaps). A few minutes later we were at Montrose, and again we drove right into the heart of the estate, parking up next to the château. It wasn’t long before the gardener, who looked suspiciously as though he might be trained in martial arts, began to stare at us in a very irritated manner. Sensing imminent danger, once again we were on our way, this time en route for Cos d’Estournel.

Being somewhat obsessive about exploring and understanding Bordeaux, and the terroirs on which these châteaux sit, I didn’t dare mention to Didier that I had visited all these châteaux before. Indeed, so regular had my driving up and down the D2 been this week, that this was about the fifteenth time I had glimpsed Cos d’Estournel in the space of only a few days.

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