Stay at a château in Bordeaux: 5 wineries

In Bordeaux most châteaux receive visitors by appointment only, and many close their doors in the evening. A few have guest rooms, so you can walk through the vineyards when the visitors have gone. Below are five, from the left bank of the Garonne to Saint-Émilion.

Pessac-Léognan

At Château Haut-Bailly, wine, food and sleeping come together. In La Chartreuse, the estate's guest house in Léognan, there are four guest rooms with views of the park or the vineyards. You can book a tasting with several vintages of the Grand Cru, or a lunch at La Table Privée in the château.

Médoc

Château Sénéjac is a sixteenth-century château between Margaux and Bordeaux, half an hour from the city. The owners renovated three rooms and two suites themselves. During the extended tour you taste wines from the Haut-Médoc, Saint-Julien and Provence side by side.

Sauternes

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey has made Sauternes for more than 400 years and is owned by the owner of the crystal house Lalique. For the anniversary in 2018 a hotel with thirteen rooms opened, decorated with Lalique crystal. In the cellar there is even a crystal barrel.

Saint-Émilion

Château Troplong Mondot lies at the highest point of Saint-Émilion. Les Clefs de Troplong Mondot has rooms and a suite among the vines, and the restaurant Les Belles Perdrix is on the estate, with a terrace above the vines.

Château Soutard is one of the oldest estates in the area, on the plateau just above the village. The guest house in the listed château gives you access to the estate outside opening hours: cycle through the vineyards, have a picnic, or book a vertical tasting.

Tip

Saint-Émilion is easy to explore on foot or by bike from these addresses. For the left bank you need a car. Avoid the week of the en primeur tastings in spring, when many châteaux are closed to the public. More addresses are in our Bordeaux guide.