YOUR SAUTERNES ADDRESS BOOK
The appellation’s main villages, Sauternes and Barsac, are only 10km apart. There are a limited number of lodging and dining options, so it’s advisable to reserve well in advance.
SAUTERNES
Château d’Arche (chateau-arche.fr) is a charming 18th-century winery and hotel. Or, if you want to push the boat out, head to the famous Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey for sumptuous Relais & Châteaux accommodation and two-star Michelin dining (see ‘My perfect day’, p109). Château Sigalas Rabaud (see p108) ticks the box when it comes to country chic, and is a Best of Wine Tourism Gold award winner. Just outside Sauternes, in Budos, Domaine Cazenave (chambres-hotes-sauternes.fr) is a laidback guesthouse with a pool, surrounded by trees.
In Sauternes village, the simple, contemporary style of Hotel le 23 (hotelsauternesle23.fr) reflects the youthful spirit of its owners, Arnaud and Severine Riotte, who also run the fantastic village bistro, Auberge les Vignes (see ‘My perfect day’, p109), where countless wine deals have been done over the decades.
Across the street, there’s a sweet boutique B&B, La Sauternaise (+33 [0]6 78 00 64 18). And don’t miss the Maison du Sauternes (maisondusauternes.fr), set to be expanded in 2025, for winery tour information, tastings and wine purchases. Just outside the village, at La Table de Trillon (chateau-trillon.fr), the daily lunch special is always a treat (and there’s a B&B on site). Another local restaurant of note, L’Entrecoeur (l-entrecoeur.fr), shines for home-cooked meals by the fireplace or concert dinners in the courtyard (it also has wines for sale).
BARSAC
In between the lively market town of Barsac and the village of Sauternes, near Pujols-surCiron, the simple guest house at Clos Floridène (denisdubourdieu.fr), adjacent to the modern winery, overlooks tranquil vineyards stretching to the river Ciron. Also on the river, winemaker Marie-Pierre Lacoste-Duchesne, whose family has owned Château La Clotte-Cazalis (see above) since 1779, updated her grandparents’ old manor house with three B&B rooms. Don’t miss the vintage equipment in the winery and a taste of some of the region’s best modern-style wines (in organic production since 2015).
country-chic restaurant overlooking Guiraud’s undulating vineyards, locals and visitors dig into farm-fresh cuisine paired with local wines. Also in the works is a 26-room hotel with a pool and spa, a new wine cellar and a revamped visitor centre designed by Bordeaux-based architects Chadebost (also responsible for Château Cheval Blanc’s new chai, among others). Behind the plans is new majority shareholder Matthieu Gufflet, the French entrepreneur whose mission is to share the unspoiled beauty of lesser-known French vineyards through his high-end, sustainabilityfocused Terres de Natures hotel brand.
Other winery visits of note around Sauternes include Château de Rayne Vigneau (raynevigneau.fr) for the excellent blending workshop or quirky treetop tasting; Château La Tour Blanche (tour-blanche.com) for its down-to-earth attitude, tranquil carriage rides and convivial ‘after-work’ sundowners in the vineyard; Château d’Yquem for its fascinating tour and stylish tasting room; and Château de Fargues (chateaudefargues.com), owned by the venerable Lur Saluces family since 1472, for a thought-provoking bridge between Sauternes’ past and present – book the Chef’s Table lunch after your tour for a special treat.
BEWITCHING BARSAC
A short drive away in neighbouring Barsac, Bérénice Lurton, of legendary first growth Château Climens (chateau-climens.fr), is another owner bringing soul back into the region’s wines through attentive stewardship of her historic property. A visit provides a window onto the region’s winemaking history from the 17th century – when the district began producing sweet white wines to meet the demand of Flemish merchants in nearby Bordeaux – to 2010, when Lurton and her estate manager converted the family estate to biodynamic production.
‘This is a humble region, with poor earth and unpredictable weather,’ Lurton admits, looking over the red clay and sand that bring minerality and crystalline elegance to her sweet and dry white wines, from 100% Semillon. ‘That’s why we can’t have big egos.’ She offers seasonal yoga and meditation sessions in the monastic loft above the winery, followed by a light lunch on the property – well worth planning ahead for.
Less well known but also worthy of a visit is Château Gravas (chateau-gravas.fr), which sports a playful vibe and an art gallery in the wine cellar, and offers evening cultural events under the old magnolia. Book ahead for a tour, tasting or meal at Château Coutet (chateaucoutet.com) and you may run into co-owner Aline Baly, who joined her family’s business in 2018 after many years abroad, mostly in the US. At Château Simon (chateausimon.fr), the Dufour sisters run the family property (ask to see their father’s corkscrew collection). Château de Myrat (chateaudemyrat.fr), meanwhile, is owned by the de Pontac family and also run by two sisters; it’s a lovely estate with a jewel-box 18th-century castle and formal gardens.