The Wine Route from Bordeaux to Graves and Sauternes runs through the very birth place of Bordeaux wines. Today it covers a subtle network of entrepreneurial estates that have built up exclusive expertise. You can visit these properties any day you fancy with an appointment or without. Featuring famed chateaux such as Yquem and Haut-Brion, the Wine Route from Bordeaux to Graves and Sauternes is like a continuous treasure trail of jewels for anyone with time to uncover them.
Wonder at the magic of Sauternes, recharge your batteries in the Graves, live the chateau life in Pessac-Léognan, or spend an unforgettable night surrounded by vines. Take time just for yourself and escape along the amazing Wine Route from Bordeaux to Graves and Sauternes.
Having negotiated the tides of history these majestic homes stand in the middle of the vines, witnesses to times gone by, where dreams become reality: 20 estates welcome visitors with or without appointments all year round.
Château Suduiraut, Premier Cru Classé 1855, Sauternes AOC :
For centuries, something magical takes place in Sauternes that doesn’t happen elsewhere. As harvesting is about to start, when seasonal fog gives way to sunny days in September, a fungus named botrytis appears and like a fairy godmother over a cradle, bestows on Sauternes wines aromas that can be found in no other wine. Château Suduiraut lies in the very middle of this magical area and is open to visitors! In this fairy-tale edifice with its towers, it isn’t hard to dream of being a prince or princess…
However, Château Suduiraut has not always been a haven of tranquillity, and since the 16th century has suffered destruction, fires and reconstruction. It was labelled a Cru Classé in 1855 and has survived to enjoy more peaceful times today. Visitors share in its history and learn about the lives of Suduiraut’s ancestors. After the historical tour, a blind tasting is offered of three different vintages of Sauternes wines made on the estate.
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Cru Classé de Graves, Pessac-Léognan AOC :
Get ready for a timeless and unique experience in one of the prettiest properties in Sauternes. Caudalie® Laboratories produces cosmetics containing grape seed polyphenols. The source materials originally came from the vineyard of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, a well-known name in the Bordeaux wine-growing industry. Florence and Daniel Cathiard fell in love with the estate in the 1990’s. Very quickly, they opened their property for tours and became the pioneers of wine tourism in Bordeaux.
This is hardly surprising, when you consider the enticing assets of the estate: its distinctive architectural style, its soil and exposure that are so suited to making great white and red wines, its one thousand-barrel underground ageing cellar and its 18th-century chapel. Florence Cathiard’s contemporary art collection scattered about the Smith Haut Lafitte vines adds to the singularity of the site. There is also the fascinating family story with its cosmetics and its world famous hotel resort. Visitors come to taste the property’s great wines and fill their heads with dreams.
Get a different buzz from the vines along the Wine Route.
On the Wine Route from Bordeaux to Graves and Sauternes, you can get a different buzz from the vines. Try out something unusual, get a change of scenery and recharge your batteries!
A vine safari at Château de Rouillac, Pessac-Léognan AOC :
Château de Rouillac offers vineyard tours in 4WD safari vehicles. Laurent Cisneros, the owner of Château Rouillac, takes guests on a sensational tour of his property, far from the beaten track. A fantastic adventure ride through the Pessac-Léognan vineyards.
Savour a glass of sweet white atop a hundred-year-old cedar at Château Rayne Vigneau, Sauternes AOC :
Climb to the top of a hundred-year-old cedar tree and enjoy the fresh air and the amazing view out over the Sauternes vineyards. With a glass of Château de Rayne-Vigneau in your hand, feel like you rule the world 40 feet up. Push back and meditate!…
Enjoy a siesta in the gardens of Château de Cérons, Graves AOC :
When the season allows it, enjoy the peace far from the madding crowd in the shade of the magnolias in the gardens of Château de Cérons, a superb 18th century chateau with flanking towers. Get away for a romantic sleep-over on these famous french Wine Route, from Bordeaux to Graves and Sauternes.
Why not spend a night in a wine chateau ? Snuggle up in a cosy, romantic setting overlooking the majestic Château Yquem and just a heartbeat away from some seriously famous vineyards. Take time out to enjoy life on these so romantic routes.
Château de Beausite, Graves AOC :
The owners of Château de Beau-Site, just a stone’s throw from the Garonne River, love wine and horses and combine both to welcome guests to their estate, where fun and gentle living are the two guiding principles. Their four rooms recently renovated and restyled are called Merlot, Cabernet, Garonne and Mascaret. They offer a place to relax and renew energy in the middle of a vineyard, where your stay is spent resting, riding and tasting.
Chateau life at Château Le Pape, Pessac-Léognan AOC :
Château Le Pape, a property belonging to Château Haut-Bailly, is a charming, peaceful setting ideal for lovers, looking for quiet tranquillity. Come and forget the troubles of everyday life and enjoy the serenity of beautifully renovated rooms and premium facilities with an infinity edge pool and patio. A gastronomic meal for small groups can be taken at Château Haut-Bailly’s private table.
The Ecotelia Estate, Graves AOC, another generation of vine :
Fancy a stay in complete harmony with nature ? Ecotelia is a fully-fledged ecological, open-air hotel. Come and reconnect with nature, while experiencing traditional living spaces from all over the world, but without leaving the vines of the Wine Route from Bordeaux to Graves and Sauternes.
READ MORE ON : www.bordeaux-graves-sauternes.com
