Château Troplong Hotel

Saint-Émilion, France

In this part of the world land is at a premium, estates are small and every metre of the earth accounted for. Expert analysis means vineyard owners know precisely which ground sits on limestone plateau, which soil might have more clay or more sand, and how that impacts its treatment to maximise the harvest. What’s fascinating about Château Troplong Mondot is how it translates in their approach to hospitality as well. The estate has been split up, with different aspects appealing to different markets and maximised at every turn.

There’s the grand house dating back to 1745, which has enjoyed a no-expense-spared renovation and is rented out only in its entirety. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for oenophiles to immerse themselves in the Premier Cru Classé estate.

Then, dispersed throughout the grounds is a series of other options known as The Keys – more accessible but still unique. Most stunning is no doubt The Vineyard House, which sits within the vines, with checkerboard floor tiles and open-hearth rooms. Other rooms, housed in a white-stoned country house, come with family-style communal living rooms.

During the day you can visit cellars – of ecclesiastical proportions – chiselled into the hillside, or tour the vines with the option of taking a picnic hamper for lunch at one of the viewpoints on the estate. In the evenings, guests staying in any part of the estate wander over to Michelin-starred Les Belles Perdrix, a restaurant buzzing with locals.

As part of the legacy of the last private owner, Christine Valette - Pariente – considered something of a grande dame throughout the Bordeaux region – the land continues to be carefully ploughed by Percheron horses, kitchen gardens heave with produce (12 varieties of mint, each with their own specific use) and chickens and pigs roam freely. It’s a case of near-forensic quality over quantity.

Words by Rachel Walker. Doubles from £285. +33 55755 3205, troplong-mondot.com