Robb Report’s wine editors: Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen
With one of us sitting in the passenger seat of Youri Lebault’s Mercedes sedan and the other in the back, Burgundy’s preeminent tour guide asks if there was anything he could do to make our day better. “Everything is fine, but if I had a glass of Corton- Charlemagne in my hand right now I would be just a little bit happier,” one of us says with a chuckle. “Consider it done,” Lebault replies. We insist it’s a joke, but before we could say anything more, Lebault is on the phone with a contact in Beaune as he casually makes a U-turn and guides us to a wine boutique in the center of town. Someone appears from inside the shop, pulls away the “No Parking” signs and chain out front and ushers us to the store’s interior. A bottle is presented, two long-stemmed crystal glasses are procured, and we are back on our way to tour the vineyards of the Côte de Beaune in no time. That, friends, is the magic of traveling with someone who is connected. And in Burgundy, that magic is needed now more than ever.
I have always created my private wine tours like an
artist. I really believe that is an art.
Whether Lebault personally drives you or you spend your time with Fabien, David, Christine, or Nicolas, your day will begin in a notable vineyard with a glass of wine in hand and what is called the Bourgogne Wine Tour Classroom, an exploration of Burgundy’s history, grape varieties, geology, vinification, agronomy, and appellations with visual aids that include boards and maps. Guests contact Lebault through his website, and he connects with them personally to craft their experience. And while he insists on not naming names, he adds that he can “contact certain domains where I do have the possibility, a couple of time a year, to open the doors for unforgettable experiences.” Like any fixer, he can get you where you want to go, but discretion is the name of the game.
We are always happy to take care of the wine shipping, door to door to the U.S.A., which is a really convenient service. Our guests are always glad to buy a ‘souvenir.’
