MY PERFECT DAY IN SAUTERNES
MORNING
Head for the visitor centre at Château Doisy-Daëne (denisdubourdieu.fr), flagship winery of the Dubourdieu family’s Barsac and neighbouring Graves estates, to sample (and purchase) its 20 wines, which range from sweet and dry whites to uncomplicated reds. Then stroll along Barsac’s drystone wall-lined lanes, cooled by the famous morning mist, to the
Maison des Vins de Barsac (maisondesvinsbarsac.fr), where you can refuel with a petit crème coffee at the bar. Aside from exploring its huge wine selection, you can shop for scented candles and regionally harvested caviar.
LUNCH & AFTERNOON
Take lunch on the parasol-shaded terrace of Château Guiraud’s La Chapelle (see p110), or more informally in the village at the cosy Auberge les Vignes (aubergelesvignes.fr). Then you can enjoy a leisurely paddle down the river Ciron, courtesy of the nautical club in nearby
Bommes (basebommes.e-monsite.com). Part of a protected natural corridor, the shady Ciron also flows past the majestic
Château Royal de Cazeneuve (chateaudecazeneuve.com), famous as the residence of the kings of Navarre – if you can make time in your agenda, it is worth calling in to tour the royal apartments and medieval cellar, and enjoy the gardens (open 2-5.30pm every day, 1 June to 30 September).
EVENING
Head to your accommodation for the night, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (see left), entering via the stately arched gateway. After freshening up, browse the gift shop for Lalique perfume, crystal table furnishings, artwork and, of course, wines, before settling into a lounge chair on the lawn for the Lalique bar’s signature aperitif, the refreshing Sweet’Z
(concocted with Sauternes, naturally), and heading into the Lalique restaurant for dinner. Chef Jérôme Schilling’s heartfelt, creative cuisine garnered him a second Michelin star earlier this year. The sommelier may even grant you a peek into the 350,000-bottle wine cellars
tractors than tour buses, and Sauternes makes for just about the perfect wine country reboot.
Today, hand in hand with the fresher wines in the glass, there’s a simpler, more approachable atmosphere at properties that have traditionally been closed. Because 90% of this appellation’s wineries are family-run, your tour and tasting guide might be the third, or 13th, generation to work on the property. Since winemaking has become an increasingly challenging way to make a living, many property owners – from highestranked premier cru supérieur Château d’Yquem (yquem.fr), owned by luxury goods group LVMH, to smaller estates such as Château La ClotteCazalis (laclotte-cazalis.com) – in the same family since 1779 – are opening their cellars, along with their historic castles and gardens, to the public. Their aim is to introduce the joys of the region’s wines to younger consumers.
It’s been a slow but steady build in local hospitality – and wine styles – since 2011. That’s when Château Guiraud (chateauguiraud.com) became one of the first 1855 classified growths in Bordeaux to be certified organic. Today, seven species of bumblebee and a rainbow of butterflies flutter among the estate’s pesticide-free gardens and vineyards, which can be explored by electric bicycle, available for hire. From the terrace of La Chapelle (lachapelledeguiraud.com), the