As you arrive at Bordeaux airport in Merignac, you are greeted by a smartly dressed driver who immediately takes your bags. Stepping outside the terminal building, a gleaming 1969 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow is waiting to whisk you off to your Chateau. Passing row after row of vines responsible for some of the world’s best wines, you then enter through huge wrought iron gates, as the car gently crunches on the long gravel tree-lined avenue. Through the ancient archway, the Rolls Royce glides to a halt in the courtyard, as the Regisseur du Chateau arrives to greet you with a warm welcome.
A work of fiction? By no means! You could be the one in that Rolls, about to enjoy the experience of a lifetime, staying in a Chateau producing Bordeaux Wine. Chateau Prieuré Marquet is set amongst the vineyards not far from the famous wine town of Saint Emilion, just under an hour from Bordeaux. 11 different luxuriously appointed rooms are available for any celebration you can name. Alternatively, the entire Chateau can be hired for the ultimate celebratory event, such as a wedding.
Picture yourself sipping champagne on the terrace, relaxing by the pool or strolling through the leafy vineyards. Throw open the shutters in the morning, as the sun streams into your bedroom and you gaze over the peaceful scenery, before enjoying a delicious croissant and coffee in the conservatory.
Prieuré Marquet is a wine château with a difference. Steeped in history, it produces a range of wines under the Bordeaux Superieur designation, in a modern winery which combines both old and new techniques. Stainless steel fermentation tanks sit alongside large terracotta jars, modelled on those used by the Greeks and Romans. The beams of the old winery building have been carefully preserved and the entire building is covered by a modern, removable shell to control temperature, keeping the historic nature of the establishment intact.
With a forward-thinking owner and a top oenologist wine-maker Luc Barusseau, the boundaries of Bordeaux wine production are being pushed in new directions. Gamay and Chardonnay vines have been introduced, varieties normally associated with Burgundy rather than Bordeaux. With the first production of these wines due this year, the results are awaited with great interest.
The magnificent Chateau building is an architectural gem, which has been carefully restored with both respect for the past and contemporary imagination, under the guidance of the entrepreneur owner Bernard Canonne. Apart from producing award winning Bordeaux wines, it now offers prestigious accommodation, along with bespoke dining and a host of services which can be arranged according to your wishes.
An ideal base for wine tourism, exploring the surrounding vineyards of Saint Emilion, Pomerol, Fronsac and other Bordeaux Appellations, it is also the wedding venue par excellence. The entire chateau can be put at your disposal, with 11 guest bedrooms and the spacious and luxurious salons and sitting rooms overlooking the vineyards, the elegant, wide corridors, swimming pool, terrace, conservatory and dining room. All services can be provided by the chateau and its partners, to make your event one which you will remember forever.
For further information and details on guest rooms (Chambre d’hôtes) or reservations of the entire chateau for your forthcoming wedding, please phone the England based representative, Catherine, on 07884 238170.