Tain L'Hermitage, via Cluny and Villié-Morgon

I started the morning of Weds 14 September with a run, which blew out some of the accumulated cobwebs from a pretty stressful week to that point. After a shower and some breakfast at La Cimentelle we piled back into the car to head further south, ultimately to Tain L’Hermitage where we had booked our next stop.  

We tracked across country through the Parc Natural Régional du Morvan to start - with the weather grey and mizzly, which leant the villages through which we passed a rather spartan, unloved air. Functional, agricultural places with little tendency to scrub up for passing tourists; interesting nonetheless but perhaps intentionally uninviting.

We planned to aim for lunch in prime Beaujolais country, but the winding roads and the hour defeated us and thus we made an impromptu stop in Cluny, site of a notable Benedectine monastery. By the time we descended from the plateau and into town just after midday the sun was out. We didn’t have time for a proper nose around the sights, but would definitely recommend a stop there if you are in the vicinity. We did however find ourselves with a demi of Moulin á Vent, an entrecôte and a salade lyonnaise.

We also saw a number of students wearing distinctive (and personalised) cloaks pacing around town, for what we subsequently traced as attendees at an exclusive summer school called NeuroBridges 2022.

After lunch we headed into Beaujolais proper, with a beeline to the ten named crus, and in particular to Morgon.

We were hoping to have a dégustation at Lapierre, or Jean Foillard, but alas neither was open - likely in full wine-making mode given the recent vendanges. As such we had to make do with a photo of the fantastic murals outside Lapierre instead. #freegamay indeed!

With a mild pang of an opportunity missed we then headed to Tain - and our hotel for the evening, Fac et Spera.

We settled in, had a quick foray into the swimming pool to take advantage of the lovely weather before heading into town. I thought the vineyards overlooking Chablis were impressive but they were nothing on the south-facing slopes of syrah that dominate Tain itself - rising up high and dominating the view from town northwards - with the names of two of the most notable producers in prime position (inc M Chapoutier, and Paul Jaboulet Aîné).

We first headed to the M Chapoutier cave/magasin just around the corner from our hotel, where I was completely unable to restrain myself given the selection on offer. We picked up a very reasonable bottle of Hermitage, a Condrieu, a Crozes-Hermitage, and a grenache gris from an associate producer in Roussillon. As the sales assistant packed them up into a box I realised the hotel name in which we were staying (Fac et Spera), was the motto of M Chapoutier itself - no doubt a lucrative business model if you can set it up!

After dropping the wine back in the room we headed into town to a bar called Le Bateau Ivre (literally and rather wonderfully 'the drunken boat', likely after the poem by Rimbaud). It sits on the street leading to the pedestrian footbridge across the Rhône from which the first photo in this post was taken - though the view in the pic is from the other side of the river. 

After a glass of outstanding Condrieu and a less outstanding Saint Joseph we headed around the corner to the fabulous Le Mangevins, where we ate from a reduced, but nonetheless delectable menu, washed down with a fabulous glass of Cremant de Loire to start and on recommendation of the house (and this time much more refined), a bottle of Saint Joseph. 

I can’t recommend the service, wine list and food highly enough. They also had some wines available to buy and take away, and on seeing a cuvee of Domaine Tempier that is very tricky to get hold of generally, (La Tourtine to be specific) and at a very reasonable price, I treated us to that too, all whilst promising Mrs L that this was the last such vinified frippery of the trip.

Next post - our curtailed stop in the Aude, Alets-Les-Bains.