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THE MIRACLE HERMIT OF SAINT-ÉMILION WELCOME TO THE MAYOR’S CHATEAUX

mid the narrow stone walkways of Saint-Émilion, ’ve met the mayor of Abzac, a small pastoral village in
Aa Bordeaux-region village that dates back to IBordeaux. I’ve been to his chateaux that dates back
ancient times, towering Gothic buildings stretch as far to the 13th century. I’ve savored a glass of his finest
as the eye can see along steep and narrow streets. Merlot.
Steps away from a remarkable underground During an informal tour of his home, formally known
cathedral carved wholly out of solid limestone – miles as Château d’Abzac, he took our small group into a living
of passageways and catacombs lie just beneath the area that’s elegantly appointed in classic earth tones
surface -- we came across a cave, once home to a with splashes of light-cobalt blue furniture.
sainted hermit. There, he said, he finds blissful repose from the cares
Early on, it seems this fellow, an ascetic named of every-day life by listening to his expansivwe CD collec-
Émilion, holed himself up (or down) in his “man cave” tion of classical music. On top, you can see the “greatest
carved just beneath the town that later was to become hits” of Arturo Toscanini, the maestro conductor who
his namesake, the ancient village of Saint-Émilion. died in 1957.
After descending several flights of cobblestone Nothing in that overflowing stack of CDs was recorded
paths, slippery with the passing eons, we entered his later than, say, 1960, a fact the mayor confirms with
tiny, cloistered domicile, where the traveling Benedic- pride.
tine monk is said to have spent most of his entire He’s been mayor of Abzac for 16 years, with two years
adult life working miracles. remaining on his third six-year term. It’s a part-time role
Though the walls of the cave itself aren’t original that’s long been part of his family’s civic duty. His family’s
-- they’ve been buttressed with concrete for safekeep- heritage dates back seven generations. Members of his
ing -- it’s hard to imagine that someone actually lived family have resided in Château d’Abzac ever since.
there. Indeed, legend claims that once ensconced, he Under his stewardship, his family chateaux produces
never left until his death in 767 AD. high-quality wine, of course, 90% Merlot, distributed
Émilion attained sainthood for his uncanny ability to world-wide and award-winning.
transform wood into bread, quite a feat, one his fellow Aside from the vineyard, he’s also the head of a family-
monks must’ve appreciated as they went about their run company that makes those familiar cardboard tubes
new-found God’s gift of winemaking in the surround- that are used to ship maps and posters. Founded in
ing hills and dales. 1928, his company runs several large manufacturing
The region was fertile, which turned out to be the plants throughout Europe, Mexico, and the U.S., with a
ever-lasting miracle of Saint- Émilion. With a year- huge production plant in Kentucky.
round population of only a few thousand, the feted In 2017, he points out with a hint of sheepishness,
village now hosts more than a million visitors a year, Abzac earned $150 million in revenues, with a 10 percent
with a celebrated jazz festival to boot. annual profit.
Hermits with a taste for the grape welcome. It’s good to be the mayor of Abzac.

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