After a leisurely breakfast featuring local produce and fresh eggs from our organic chickens, we drive through the rolling hills of the Gers region, also known as the Tuscany of France, to the fortified town of Marciac, founded at the end of the 13th century in the heart of Gascony.
Marciac has gained worldwide fame through its international jazz festival, which has been held annually from late July to early August for approximately 50 years. All the great jazz musicians have performed here. We stroll through the weekly market in the large market square and walk under the arcades that line it, where small shops, bistros, and restaurants are located.
Those who wish can visit the 14th-century Gothic church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Marciac or enjoy a coffee or another beverage in one of the bistros or bars and soak up the friendliness and relaxed atmosphere.
We continue from Marciac to neighboring Tillac, a small village that developed between the 11th and 14th centuries. Founded by Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac, the village was laid out as a fortress. Its corners were oriented to the four cardinal directions, and a castle stood at the center of the complex. From the original fortress gate, a cobbled street lined with historic half-timbered houses with arcades leads to the 15th-century Church of Saint-Jacques-Le-Majeur.
In this charming little village, we visit a gourmet restaurant that celebrates creative cuisine in a typical Gers setting. Primarily seasonal products, combined with culinary expertise, guarantee a fresh and authentic dining experience. The chef sources his ingredients from local producers, placing great emphasis on quality and the unique flavors of the Gers region.
After this culinary experience, we'll take a short stroll through the historic town center, allowing ourselves to be touched and inspired by the details of centuries of history, before continuing on to the Saint Mont wine region.
In Saint Mont, we'll visit the only vineyard in France registered as a "Monument Historique," a historical monument. It's a small plot of vines of different varieties that survived the devastating phylloxera epidemic of the 19th century due to the special soil, while all the vines in the Bordeaux wine region were wiped out by the aphid (introduced from the USA, which destroyed vineyards throughout Europe). Thus, the cellars around Saint Mont house very special, little-known wines made from indigenous grape varieties such as Maseng Noir or the almost forgotten Tardif grape, which was only officially recognized as a Cépage in 2024 after a 15-year approval process. Tardif has a light red color similar to Burgundy and a similarly fruity taste, but surprises with a wonderful peppery note on the finish! Following the tour of the historic vineyard, we will taste three original vintages of these rare wines from these special indigenous grape varieties, which are not yet available for general sale (this selection varies depending on vintage availability).
After this special tasting, we will return to Château Lestéous and enjoy the time until dinner in the spacious garden, in the château itself, or in the surrounding area. We will conclude this first day in the Gers with a dinner featuring ingredients from small local producers, accompanied by the delicious wines from Saint Mont and good conversation in a small group.
Nach diesem Genusserlebnis machen wir einen kleinen Spaziergang durch den historischen Ortskern, lassen uns von den Details einer jahrhundertealten Geschichte berühren und inspirieren und fahren dann weiter in die Weinregion Saint Mont.
In Saint Mont besuchen wir den einzigen Weinberg Frankreichs der als "Monument Historique", also als historisches Denkmal, eingetragen ist.
Es handelt sich um eine kleine Parzelle von Weinstöcken unterschiedlicher Sorten, die wegen des besonderen Bodens die große Reblausplage im 19. Jahrhundert überlebt haben, während alle Weinstöcke der Weinregion Bordeaux von der Reblaus vernichtet wurden (die Reblaus wurde aus den USA eingeschleppt und zerstörte Weinberge in ganz Europa).
So finden sich in den Weinkellern um Saint Mont ganz besondere, unbekannte Wein-Spezialitäten autochtoner Rebsorten wie Maseng Noir oder der fast vergessenen Traube Tardif, die erst 2024 nach einem Zulassungsverfahren von 15 Jahren als Cépage genehmigt wurde. Tardif hat eine hellrote Farbe ähnlich der des Burgunders und auch einen ähnlich fruchtigen Geschmack, überrascht aber im Abgang mit einer wunderbaren Pfeffernote!
Im Anschluss an die Führung durch den historischen Weinberg verkosten wir drei Originaljahrgänge der seltenen weil noch nicht frei verkäuflichen Weine dieser besonderen autochtonen Rebsorten (dieses Angebot wechselt je nach Verfügbarkeit der Jahrgänge).
Nach dieser besonderen Verkostung fahren wir ins Château Lestéous zurück und genießen die Zeit bis zum Abendessen im großzügigen Garten, im Château oder in der fußläufigen Umgebung.
Diesen ersten Tag im Gers runden wir ab mit einem Abendessen aus Zutaten kleiner Produkteure der Region, begleitet von den köstlichen Weinen aus Saint Mont und guten Gesprächen in kleiner Runde.
• Generous breakfast with local products and fresh eggs from our organic chickens
• Transfer in an air-conditioned minibus to Marciac
• Visit to the weekly market and the 14th-century Gothic church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Marciac
• Lunch in Tillac (drinks are paid separately by our guests)
• Stroll through the historic town center
• Continue to the Plaimont wine region to Saint Mont
• Guided tour of the only vineyard in France listed as a "Monument Historique" (historical monument)
• Tasting of specialty wines made from rare indigenous grape varieties such as Maseng Noir or the almost forgotten Tardif grape
• Return to the Château
• Dinner with wines from Saint Mont
