How to spend a long weekend in Bordeaux

When we received an invitation to attend a wedding in the Bordeaux region of France just after the August bank holiday, we decided to make a trip of it: exploring the stately chateaux and sampling delicious wines in one of the most charming parts of the French countryside. We had a brilliant first visit to Bordeaux, and want to share details and a rough itinerary for those keen to explore the area too.

The aim was two-fold: an opportunity to discover a new place neither of us had visited before and enjoy the gastronomic delights of Bordeaux, but also to fully relax and unwind before returning to the hectic city. Chateau Cordeillan-Bages, a Relais & Chateaux property, proved the perfect place to do both.

We landed in Bordeaux airport in the late morning and picked up our rental car — a must for fully experiencing the richness of Bordeaux — before heading into the city for a bite to eat at Café Piha near the famous shopping street, Rue Sainte Catherine. We enjoyed spending the Saturday morning moseying around the quaint streets and beautiful landmarks of Bordeaux city, but — eager to jump in the pool and get settled into the hotel — we headed straight for Chateau Cordeillan-Bages.

Located in the sleepy village of Bages in the Pauillac appellation, a scenic 45-minute drive from Bordeaux city, the hotel was ideally located for a morning of golf for Ross, a day of vineyard tours in nearby towns, casual dining by the Gironde river (we opted for casual al fresco dining at La Salamandre in Pauillac) and lazy afternoons by the pool sipping icy rosé at the 28-room property.

Peak season, we’re told, is in May/June and September/October for the usual harvest season (though this year the heat has meant it’ll likely be earlier in mid-September), so the hotel was quiet enough to get us a complimentary upgrade to one of the renovated ground floor rooms (we sacrificed a small private terrace for a slightly more spacious pad with freshened-up facilities). Pulling into the Chateau in our rental car, we were pinching ourselves: between the proximity of the vineyards and the landscaped shrubbery framing the property, the charming Cordeillan-Bages is a sight for sore eyes.

While the hotel’s restaurant has been closed for some time, indulgent breakfast spreads and light all-day fare are still available, the former best enjoyed outside within steps of the Chateau’s vineyards. Salmon gravlax, cured meats, full cooked breakfast options, fresh yoghurt and fruit, an abundance of pastries — even burrata and juicy summer tomatoes — were the best way to begin the day.

The staff at Chateau Cordeillan-Bages are also on hand to assist with dinner reservations: Café Lavinal, a bistro located a short ten-minute walk in the Bages town square, served great food in a charming setting. For equally gastronomic fare with more memorable service and atmosphere, we preferred the nearby Restaurant le Saint Julien, a five minute drive from the hotel.

They also helped us plan a vineyard tour itinerary: we visited Chateau Prieuré-Lichine (EUR12/person for a tour) in Margaux, a 25-minute drive from the hotel, which was once run by Benedictine monks and continues to produce a small quantity of white wine in reverence of its religious history. I loved the quaint grounds and small-scale feel of the operation. Ask for Marion if you’re booking a tour here — she was incredibly patient with our laundry list of questions and explained the ins and outs of the Bordeaux wine world with clarity and professionalism.

After a quick lunch at La Savoie in Margaux, the next stop was the larger Chateau Gruard Larose (EUR25/person for a tour) in Saint Julien, a commercial-style premises with an enormous capacity of 450,000 bottles a year (although with mildew ravaging the 2021 harvest, the output was allegedly closer to 250,000). Situated on a sprawling premises with immaculately manicured gardens, a 6-storey tower with spectacular views over the vineyards, a nearby poplar forest and even a sophisticated machine that scans for and destroys oncoming clouds with hailstones that can damage the vines, it was certainly impressive, but the presence of an enormous tour bus and the constant marketing of very expensive bottles of wine made me prefer our first stop at Priuré-Lichine.

Finally, Ross visited Chateau Lynch-Bages, within walking distance of the hotel (free tours for hotel guests, at least), while I took a nap.

All in all, a beautiful few days in Bordeaux that has whet our appetite for more exploring of French wine regions: perhaps Saint-Émilion, Champagne or Sauternes should be next?! Now, we’re off to Chateau Fengari in Clérac for a wedding before we head back to London.