Château Palmer

Margaux-Cantenac, France

There are few roads in the world quite like Bordeaux's Route des Châteaux, an extraordinarily beautiful thoroughfare flanked by some of viticulture's most illustrious names. Yet even amid such distinguished company, Château Palmer has the power to stop visitors in their tracks: a Renaissance-meets-Baroque vision of pale stone, blue shutters and slate-roofed turrets, the building itself has been part of the Margaux landscape since 1856 – and today, under director Thomas Duroux, it's blossomed into a beacon of biodiversity, with sheep in the vineyards, Bordelaise cattle in the meadows and Pyrenean goats in the undergrowth. Visitors are advised to bring a sturdy pair of boots, as tours include a long morning walk from the picturesque Gironde estuary through the vines and working heart of the estate, with stops at the cellar and herbarium along the way. If you work up an appetite, it's just as well: at the walk's end, you'll retire to the chateau's Napoleonic salons for a five-course lunch, made with produce grown and reared on site, and paired with Palmer's celebrated Margaux wines.

Key Information

• Opening times: Mon – Fri, 9am-12.30pm, 2-5.30pm
• Signature wine: Château Palmer
• Wines produced: Red
• Grape varieties: Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot
• Tasting options
• Time from airport: 35 minutes from Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport
• Visit Château Palmer 's website

Location

Rte d'Issan, Margaux-Cantenac, 33460