Chateau's, Champagne, Folies Bergere and Fireworks

Wednesday dawned far too soon and ‘Runners found themselves at Champagne Doyard, to join Guillaume Doyard himself for a look at great ‘grower’ Champagne. In almost a crossover to ‘The Champagne Run®,’ it allowed crews the opportunity to taste some single vineyard wines of the Northern part of the Champagne region and appreciate their unique qualities.

Southbound driving seemed to fly by, as the cars headed South together. Before long the crews were ensconced at the Chateau de Vaux to taste some of Yannick’s great wines and this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau harvest. At 15:30, with official permission having been given, the ‘Run tasted this year’s release some 8.5hrs early. An exceptional harvest had turned into an exceptional wine. With Yannick’s being a Beaujolais Villages Nouveau it boded well for the wines collected by crews to age beautifully or be drunk immediately by those who couldn’t wait.

Cars in parc fermé above the vines, crews relaxed with a glass before being collected for the Mayor’s dinner with Folies Bergere style entertainment and torches to carry in the procession. The release at midnight went literally with a bang as fireworks reverberated around the Cotes de Brouilly.