Even
in the cold, wintry depths of January, Les Étangs de Corot sprawls across a vast unpolluted estate in Versailles with glorious emerald-frond trees and sparkling mirror-like ponds. Les étangs, ‘the ponds’, are surrounded by a tranquil forest, with trails that lead from the idyllic hotel into the very heart of weeping willows, high boughs, and magical flora.
SOUND OF SILENCE
Only 15 minutes outside of Paris and a quick ride from the regal French bastion Château de Versailles, Les Étangs de Corot is in the quiet heart of Ville d’Avray, where the creative spirits congregate ever since the 19th Century to escape the hubbubs of the City of Light. Les Étangs de Corot took its name from Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, the French painter well known for his Impressionist art, and is today a heritage site and four-star hotel. Its rich tapestry of culture and restorative finesse include paintings of Corot that adorn different châteaus, designed to different themes; and Caudalíe’s Vinothérapie Spa provides guests with a haven of peace, utter bliss, and decadence.
“Imbued with the same values as Les Sources de Caudalíe near Bordeaux – well-being, generosity, and authenticity. We have made a lovely hamlet come alive and transformed it into an elegant hotel,” write owners Alice and Jerome Tourbier in their welcome note. (Alice is sister to Caudalíe co-founder Mathilde Thomas.)
A VINE STORY
Caudalíe stemmed from the grapevines of Alice and Mathilde’s family-owned vineyard at Château Smith Haut Lafitte. The French name refers to a measurement of the quality of the duration of a wine’s flavour on the palate; the longer the flavour lasts, the more caudalíes the wine has. It was established in 1993 by husband and wife Bertrand and Mathilde Thomas with Dr. Joseph