With the winter truffle season fast approaching, we're off to discover the Tuber melanosporum in the heart of Périgord. Our travelling companion? A PEUGEOT 408, the elegant traveller that lends itself perfectly to road trips.

A historic French region, Périgord boasts a rich cultural, archaeological, and natural heritage. One of the jewels in its crown is its gastronomy, led by the black truffle. This world-famous mushroom is actually called Tuber melanosporum. At a time when technology and data allow us to produce more and more truffles, many mysteries persist about their cultivation with the elusive and rare black gold considered to be a luxury product. To unlock the secrets of this exceptional delicacy, we're heading to Domaine Truffier du Grand Merlhiot, where manager Olivier Leserne will give us a private tour! 

To get there, we had to cover the 500 km between Paris and a remote corner of the Périgord. The PEUGEOT 408 was our chosen travel partner, thanks to its great suitability for a road trip.

Nestled comfortably in the "Gris Titane" model, with its dark coat reminiscent of the deep, intense black of a truffle, the kilometers of the highway rolled by in easy silence.

You feel as if you're in a cocoon when curled up in the comfortable Naboo Blue Nappa leather seats, and the contrasting stitching is a real eye-catcher highlighting the 408's exemplary finish quality.

The ergonomics of the PEUGEOT i-Cockpit, which features a 3D effect, are ideal: all controls fall naturally to hand, and the i-Toggles allow you to control your favourite functions and applications at the touch of a button, all thanks to Mirror Link. All touch-sensitive parts are highly responsive for simple, efficient operation. 

Just off the freeway past Limoges, the Périgord roads stretch out before us — more specifically, the Périgord-Limousin Natural Regional Park. The long, straight stretches of asphalt are set amid dense vegetation as far as the eye can see. As on the freeway, the 408 is at ease. The 180 hp plug-in hybrid engine offers an excellent compromise between performance and fuel efficiency. Via the e-EAT8 gearbox's Break mode, regenerative braking allows energy to be stored in the 12.4 kWh battery to be used when the car accelerates again, pumping it up if need be! As our journey included a large section of freeway, we used the e-save function to save electric range for use on the final stretch, which consisted of local roads and typical Périgord village crossings. Once the battery is almost empty, the 408 continues to operate as it's similar to a simple hybrid system (MHEV). So you often benefit from electrification during gentle driving phases. We arrive at the Domaine Truffier du Grand Merlhiot without a sound. 

At the entrance to the estate, in the middle of the forest, you can hear the wildlife. Olivier, the estate's manager and a nature enthusiast with a background in forestry, greets us in the radiant sunshine. After a few metres, we come face to face with a large building. Dating back to 1750, it underwent a complete renovation in 2017. The result is a style that perfectly blends the authenticity of yesteryear with the modernity of today. We fully recharged the 408 in a spot dedicated to electric vehicles, and with its sublime fastback lines, it fits right in to this exceptional environment. Having taken advantage of the 40 miles of 100% electric range offered by our model, we arrived with the battery empty.

Truly passionate about his profession, Olivier is quick to share his knowledge of the famous black mushroom and the secrets of its cultivation. Truffles begin to grow in April, from the surface to a depth of 25 cm, and develop until September. Then comes the ripening phase, which lasts until mid-December, when harvesting begins and continues until mid-February. Patience is required to reach this point, as a tree only yields truffles eight years after planting. Pampered like kings, the estate's truffle oaks began to produce as early as four years ago. Quite apart from the painstaking handiwork involved, the location also plays a major role: the soil must have a very precise pH, its constitution must be rocky so that the roots don't sink deep, and the hygrometry neither absent nor abundant. Olivier likes to say that he does 50% of the work and the other half belongs to nature, which decides whether or not to give a good truffle harvest. That's also why he can't precisely predict how much production the estate can deliver. Eventually, the ambition is to have 50 hectares of truffle oaks, all entirely organic. As the estate is already the largest truffle-growing area in Périgord, with just a few hectares at present, imagine what's to come! 

The building's three guest rooms offer an unforgettable truffle experience. During the winter season, Olivier takes you on a truffle-picking expedition. To do this, he works with Lagotto dogs. Highly intelligent, with very sharp truffles, they love to flush out the mushrooms to please their master and, above all, receive a gourmet reward. From birth, they are exposed to the taste of black mushrooms via their mother's teats, which are brushed with this very special aroma. By their second month, puppies are able to find truffles. As soon as Olivier dons his picking outfit, the dog knows he's going to work. It's like an ON/OFF mode in the dogs' brains! After an intense hour, it's time for them to rest. Once the precious truffles are in the bag, they're delicately cleaned and meticulously indexed. In the evening, Olivier's wife Karine prepares a truffle dinner for the guests. We're salivating in anticipation, but for now it's time to get back on the road in our 408 and enjoy the pleasure of driving again. We can't wait for the winter season to start again!

Discover the Peugeot 408, available in plug-in hybrid and fuel models, and configure yours on our website.