The Ultimate 5-Day Bordeaux Wine Tour

After arriving in Bordeaux city and checking in, drive 45 minutes north into the Médoc. The village of Margaux is home to the eponymous Premier Grand Cru Classé — one of only five estates at the apex of the 1855 Classification. The estate's Greek-columned châis are among wine's most photographed. The village is surrounded by classified growths worth exploring on a walking tour.

Continue north to Pauillac, the Médoc's most celebrated commune. Château Latour sits on a gravel knoll overlooking the Gironde estuary. Its signature stone tower has been watching over the vineyards since the 14th century. The estate withdrew from the Primeur system in 2012 to release wines at optimal drinking age — a statement of supreme confidence in their wine.

Saint-Julien produces some of the Médoc's most consistently excellent wines — deep, structured Cabernets with more finesse than Pauillac's giants. Léoville-Barton is the benchmark: run by the Barton family since 1826, producing wines of extraordinary quality at relatively honest prices. The 2009 and 2010 vintages are among the greatest ever made here.

Lynch-Bages is Pauillac's beloved over-achiever — a Fifth Growth that regularly drinks above its classification. The Cazes family has transformed both wine and village: their Bages village development includes a bakery, deli, and hotel that make Lynch-Bages one of the most welcoming estates in the Médoc. Book the château tour and tasting for an inside look at one of Bordeaux's great estates.

Cross the Dordogne to the Right Bank for a complete change of terroir and character. Saint-Émilion's clay-limestone plateau produces Merlot and Cabernet Franc of extraordinary depth. Ausone is the appellation's most mythical property — just 7 hectares carved into the limestone hillside, producing one of the world's most coveted reds in tiny quantities. Visits by appointment only.

Angélus rose to Premier Grand Cru Classé A status in 2012 through rigorous quality improvements under Hubert de Boüard. The property's iconic bronze bell announces tastings. The wines are rich, opulent, and built for both immediate enjoyment and long aging. The estate welcomes visitors with a level of theatrical hospitality rare in the Médoc.

Pomerol has no official classification, no grand château gates, no tourist infrastructure — just flat, unprepossessing plateau and the world's most expensive wines. Pétrus itself is not open to visitors, but its modest garage-style chai sits openly on the plateau. Walking this appellation is a pilgrimage for wine lovers: observe the blue clay buttonhole at the plateau's crown that gives Pétrus its power. Neighbouring estates like Le Pin and La Conseillante do receive visitors.

Vieux Château Certan is Pomerol's elder statesman — a property with documented history to 1770. Where Pétrus is pure velvet Merlot, VCC introduces Cabernet Franc for structure and complexity. The Thienpont family produces wines of remarkable elegance and longevity. VCC's chai and tasting room are open for appointments, and the team is genuinely welcoming.

The world's greatest sweet wine, and the only château ever elevated above Premier Grand Cru Classé in any Bordeaux classification. Château d'Yquem's painstaking selective harvesting — pickers may pass through the vineyard ten or more times to select only perfectly botrytised berries — produces wines capable of outlasting generations. End your Bordeaux tour with their extraordinary guided tasting.