Crus—Pape Clément (Graves), Fombrauge (Saint-Émilion), La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) and Clos Haut-Peyraguey (Sauternes)—is intended to be educational and hands-on. “Wine buffs really want to understand everything and always leave more knowledgeable than when they arrive,” explains Magrez. Visitors also learn about château life, caring for the vineyards, winemaking, and pairing dishes and wines, as well as the subtleties of tasting. From the cellar to a blind-tasting session in a chai with 800 barrels, all the various parts of Pape Clément can be toured. “We can even show visitors how our drones work. Everything is possible,” says the owner. For the keenest, a dedicated team has dreamed up all kinds of premium services. From the grounds to the château and the Orangeraie, everything can be rented for professional and private events. Magrez has been collecting works of art for 40 years and owns around 500, some of which are kept at Pape Clément. People renting a room for a night can sleep under an authentic Bernard Buffet, then go have coffee in the Salon des Papes, which is adorned with a unique collection of religious chalices. Best of all, they can meet Monsieur Magrez in person: “My office is at Pape Clément, so I see my guests at breakfast, at eight in the morning, then at dinner, when I return home around eight-thirty in the evening.” The ne plus ultra, however, are the tailor-made getaways aimed at the most discerning clients. These might include a gastro- nomic experience at the Grande Maison restaurant (where Magrez has teamed up with Pierre Gagnaire), a tour of the Institut Bernard Magrez (art sponsorship) and trips to the Gironde, the Bassin d’Arcachon and the group’s vineyards in a luxury car or even a helicopter. A mainstay, however, is visiting Pape Clément, HQ of the Magrez empire, and a powerful symbol of the Bordeaux region: the earliest harvest here, it is said, took place as early as 1252. The good life Bordeaux wine magnate Bernard Magrez is a key player in local wine tourism, developing programs ranging from brief tours to ultra-luxurious stays. We visit his base, the famous Château Pape Clément. Which wine lover has never dreamed of making their own Grand Cru wine? At Bernard Magrez’s wine academy, you can do it in two hours. This subsidiary of the Bernard Magrez group, which owns 42 vineyards, offers people an opportunity to create their own bottle of prestigious Pape Clément at the château itself. “Everyone gets to try their hand at being a cellar master,” says Jérémy Fargeat, sommelier and store manager, as he sets out his equipment on an elegant wooden counter: tasting glasses, samples of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, test tubes and conversion table in centiliters. For his mostly international clients (including Americans, Chinese and Brazilians), he provides a quick initiation into tasting, Pavillon du Prélat, dans les jardins du domaine. but also, and above all, into the Bordeaux art of blending. The Pavillon du Prélat, in the château’s grounds. The group has been pioneering wine tourism since 2008. Jérémy Fargeat, responsable de la boutique du château. The experience, which encompasses four Magrez Grands Jérémy Fargeat, manager of the château’s store. L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ. À CONSOMMER AVEC MODÉRATION. DRINK IN MODERATION. ALCOHOL ABUSE IS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH. 249