Château & Village Castigno
Assignan, France
Need a hint as to what kind of establishment this is? One look at Castigno's bottle-shaped winery, its carefully camouflaged exterior clad in cork-oak bark, should give you a rather hefty clue. Then, of course, there's the 30 hectares of organically farmed vineyards surrounding it – through which privileged guests, if they so choose, can embark on a memory-making range of 4x4 safaris, winemaking workshops and vine-side picnics. Saint-Chinian reds and whites are the sips to savour here, made with native yeasts and a minimal-intervention approach. As the name suggests, Castigno really does have its own village – or, rather, it's woven into one. After its Belgian owners Marc Verstraete and Tine Claeys bought the ancient Knights of Malta estate in 2007, their ambitions gradually spread to the bijou stone houses of Assignan, the medieval hilltop commune to which the property pertains. Today, 21 guestrooms are scattered among its colourful red, pink and purple buildings, turning the village's cobblestone streets into the most extraordinary of hotel corridors.
Key Information
- Opening times: Mon – Sun, 10am-12pm and 2-7pm
- Signature wine: Château Castigno Rouge
- Wines produced: Red, white, rosé, orange and sparkling
- Grape varieties: Grenache blanc, roussanne, grenache gris, carignan blanc, carignan, grenache noir, syrah, cinsault, merlot
- Time from airport: 40 mins from Béziers Cap d’Agde Airport
- Visit Château & Village Castigno's website
Location
Av. de Saint-Chinian, Assignan, 34360
