Chateau Touring

Took a break from wine tasting today and toured a couple of very nice chateaus. The first was Chateau de Savigny, built around 1340 by Jean de Frolois, Marshall of Burgundy. (Marshal was an honor bestowed on a military general as a sign of supreme military attainment.)The chateau was built for the Duke of Burgundy, Eudes IV, also known as, no joke, Odo IV. He reigned from 1315 until his death in 1349.

To go through the lineage of this castle estate would fill the pages so let’s just say ownership and work at the site changed numerous times through the ages. Fast forward to 1979 and a man named, Michel Pont, the new Marshal in town, takes over the estate.

Quite an accomplished man, Mike, as he liked to called (maybe), was a wine grower, no big surprise there, but he also drove / collected Formula race cars (Fiat Albarth), collected fighter aircraft (largest private collection in the World – Guinness), collected tractors, collected fire equipment / engines, collected motorcycles, and collected satellites. At last count, Mike had 35 Albarth race cars, over 100 aircraft, 25 tractors, 25 fire trucks, 250 motorcycles, and 2 Comms sats. His collections are housed in the 9 museums on the estate, yes even the 100+ fighter aircraft!

Oh yeah, he also made wine on his estate. The vineyard that is about 20 hectares and produces seven premier crus wines (premier is one level below Grand Cru which is the highest rating in Burgundy): Auxey-Duresses – Beaune – Monthélie – Meursault – Pommard – Volnay and Savigny-lès-Beaune, including its 4 hectare Cuvée du Château Monopole and, on the Côte Dijonnaise, its Clos du Châpitre, and its Cuvée du Roy. Bottles of Pinot go for $60 and up.

Today, the castle is mostly used as a museum but it can accommodate weddings, seminars, concerts, etc. The three dining / reception rooms can seat about 400 people with 2 full kitchens to cater events. The ground floor rooms make up a series of restored old cellars, and there is an 11-hectare garden area.

Hospices de Beaune

Our next chateau is not really a chateau but a hospice from 1443. Beaune is home to one of the most elegant early 15^th century hospitals in France. It was the dream of Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy, and his wife, Guigone de Salins, to create this “palace for the poor” who needed medical attention. Today it is considered an architectural masterpiece.

Although this was a noble deed for Nicolas and his wife, it was not all out of compassion for the poor. Nicolas strongly believed that by spending some of his personal wealth to build this innovative care facility, he and his wife would find salvation from God. To that end, Nicolas insisted on only the finest materials to be used in construction.

Once completed, he oversaw the outfitting of each room and made sure the furnishings were good enough for royalty. Tapestries and paintings adorned the walls, the beds were housed in cubicles that lined the aisles and were finished with velvet curtains. Nuns attended to the sick from sunrise to late in the evening, retiring to their quarters only after the last person had gone to sleep and they had finished their prayers.0

One of the most recognizable features of the hospice is it’s ornate glazed-tile roof.

The hospital was operational (no pun intended) until 1979. Each year on the 3^rd Sunday in November, there is a charity wine auction that gives bidders a chance to buy some of the best wines in Burgundy. The days before the auction are filled with festivals and celebrations.

Tomorrow, back to wine tasting. Coming to our end here in Dijon so got to squeeze in one last tasting.

Til then…