Visit one of the Médoc region’s most critical 17th-century citadels and enjoy a wine tasting at a glorious château. Relax on a lovely journey through a vineyard-strewn landscape to Fort Médoc, a 17th-century fortification that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. You’ll learn the fort was conceived by influential French military architect Vauban, trusted advisor to Louis XIV, to protect the Gironde estuary against British invasions, as the width and length of the waterway made it a particularly appealing target for inland naval forays. You’ll survey the grand main entrance, the waterworks, the fascinating underground room and the barracks. Upon concluding your enlightening tour, make your way to splendid Château Lanessan, a family-run estate and winery built in 1878. You’ll admire the manor’s graceful architecture and charming outbuildings, which are set on a 20-acre park surrounded by vineyards and dotted with hundred-year-old trees. As a palate-pleasing finale to your perfect excursion, relish a tasting of two of the château’s wines.