Live the sweet life: where to stay or buy a holiday home in Bordeaux

Discover a rare vintage — a château hotel and homes to buy in intoxicating Bordeaux countryside.
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Cathy Hawker18 September 2018

Sauternes in the south-east corner of the Bordeaux wine region produces exceptional sweet wines thanks to its unique microclimate. Misty mornings, hot afternoons and the temperature clash of two rivers, the cool Ciron and the warmer Garonne, work magic on the grapes to produce long-lasting, full-bodied wine.

Traditionally paired with foie gras or puddings, Sauternes wines were once hugely popular.

When Bordeaux wines were first classified in 1855, out of 17 wines given the highest “first-growth” ranking, 12 were Sauternes.

Two of the Sauternes producers named in 1855 and still rated at the very highest level are Château d’Yquem and Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, neighbouring estates 45 minutes from Bordeaux city in the small village of Bommes.

In 2014 Silvio Denz bought Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey and its 91 precious acres. The enthusiastic Swiss entrepreneur and art collector, whose businesses include the French crystal company Lalique, opened the château this summer after four years and £8.97 million of refurbishments, as a wonderful 13-room and suite hotel.

The first vineyard of its stature in the entire Bordeaux region to open as a hotel and restaurant, it is a captivating place to stay.

The elegant stone château retains its 17th-century character but with the addition of a thoroughly 21st-century contemporary glass-and-steel conservatory designed by architect Mario Botta.

This is the restaurant, with a two Michelin-star chef, from where diners have a panoramic view over neat rows of vines.

LUSTROUS LALIQUE

A stunning 3,000 pieces of crystal include Lalique Champs-Élysées “leaves” in gold lustre, dramatically clustered on super-size chandeliers that decorate the château.

The lighting throughout is exceptional and the furniture, finely etched vases, glasses, even the cutlery, are all bespoke, based on original Lalique designs but with a modern twist.

Denz enjoys collaborating with his favoured artists and brands and combines his passion for art and wine with a light touch. The château’s small chapel has a Damien Hirst-designed crystal cross above the altar, and a glass window providing views into the neatly stocked cellars.

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey: rooms start from £220 including breakfast. Estate visits daily, 10am to 6pm, from £17 per person. The restaurant is open Thursday to Monday.

“Wine is King at Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey,” says David Bolzan, managing director of Vignobles Silvio Denz.

“Bordeaux knows the best way to promote Sauternes is through high-end wine tourism. Our wines have achieved the highest quality and Silvio wants to extend that quality to everything, from the design to the service and of course, the food and wine.”

The restrained design and the pared-back colour scheme at Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, predominantly of creamy beige and gold with deep green and red bursts, is inspired and best displays the exquisite crystal inside and the vines outside. The hotel is beautiful, serene and immensely welcoming.

This is the third Lalique hotel that Denz has opened following the success of Villa René Lalique in Alsace and is part of his mission to encourage more visitors to the Bordeaux wine region, and to share in his passion for the versatility and superior style of Sauternes wines.

At Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey they serve Sauternes as an aperitif with ice cubes and orange zest.

The château sells wine and makes a fine rosé in a classic engraved Lalique bottle for £8. Sauternes retails at £45.

For wine lovers with an appetite for interior design, this château is the ideal starting point for an inspirational autumn wine tour.

WINE REGION HOMES

Three areas interest most property hunters around Bordeaux, says Tim Swannie of Home Hunts.

Some want a pied-à-terre in elegant Bordeaux city where they can achieve a rental return.

Expect to pay from £313,500 for a good two-bedroom flat and almost double that for one in the prestigious central 18th-century Golden Triangle.

Houses with gardens and pools in the pretty villages within 40 minutes of Bordeaux start from about £535,000.

Leggett Estate Agents says Bordeaux property prices have risen 18 per cent over the past two years.