Bordeaux: Chateau Soutard Tour.

The second vineyard on our tasting tour was Chateau Soutard.  Also in the St. Emilion region, this vineyard is also incredibly old. 

It was purchased in 2006 by an insurance company. It was then renovated and modernized. 

Again, the vines are empty, as the grapes were harvested in the Fall. But even without any fruits, the rows look gorgeous in the sunshine.

Inside, everything is new and shiny. This includes an updated storage room for the barrels...

You could smell the toasting of the wood on the barrels. And a large glass elevator took us below the earth to a tasting room. They made it out of glass to allow you to see how much limestone is in the area. Limestone is a significant part of the soil in the region. It allows air to come into the soil, making the same types of grapes taste differently than other areas. 

The private tasting room we eventually ended up in was very beautiful. And there were treats laid out so that we could taste the wines with food to understand our palettes better.

This vineyard was very different than the first one. You could tell this one was a money-making machine. The other vineyard was more personalized, but far less modern.