Les Sources de Caudalie, Bordeaux
Nestled in the heart of the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte sits Les Sources de Caudalie. It’s a truly magical hotel and spa in an idyllic setting, surrounded by vineyards, forests and wildlife.
On a sunny August afternoon, I arrived at the hotel and was greeted with calm and tranquillity. The vineyards surrounding me were bathed in a golden light, and the French countryside I found myself in was still and peaceful.
Les Sources de Caudalie has 62 rooms and suites spread throughout six buildings, designed in a contemporary yet luxurious style. Each is furnished to the highest standard using local materials where possible, including the marble in the bathrooms from the Pyrenees, wood recovered from within the region and carefully sourced antique furniture.
Les Sources de Caudalie has two restaurants to choose from; two Michelin-starred La Grand'Vigne and La Table Du Lavoir, a bistro-style restaurant under a beautiful wooden framework that was built from eighteenth-century timbers salvaged from Château Lafite Rothschild's cellars. Now known as the old wash-house, it was reconstructed stone by stone, paying homage to the wives of the winegrowers who came here to wash their clothes , in the 19th century.
We chose La Table Du Lavoir for dinner and were lucky enough to be seated outside, next to the water and with a view of the sun setting behind the vineyard. The menu features elevated French classics.
To start, a Tartar of Saint-Jean-de-Luz red tuna, herbed cream and a raspberry vinaigrette, an unusual combination that packed a refreshing punch, and a classic pâté en croûte with foie gras and pickled vegetables.
For mains, grilled chicken with pommes darphin (a French potato pancake, not unlike a hash brown and also known as pommes paillasson) girolle mushrooms and a béarnaise sauce. Braised veal cheek, baby carrots and sweet marjoram apricots that balanced out the rich meat beautifully.
Our dessert was a Basque shortbread with raspberries and diplomat cream, a delicious soft and chewy biscuit piped with delicately light cream, raspberries and topped with a quenelle of sharp raspberry sorbet. All of which was, of course, accompanied by a glass of wine from the cellars of Château Smith Haut Lafitte.
The hotel also has a delicatessen and wine bar, Rouge, where you can discover the best of south-western France’s produce and Bordeaux wines. The bar, French Paradox, is an intimate setting in which to to savour a digestif from Les Sources De Caudalie’s collection of old armagnacs, cognacs, whiskies and Eau-de-Vie.The wines produced by Château Smith Haut Lafitte can be sampled in all areas of the hotel, even sat by the pool from the little poolside bar.
After a morning swim in the outdoor pool a delicious French breakfast was calling. It was a beautiful sunny morning so we sat on the deck overlooking the duck pond, sipping tea as the pond wildlife woke up. We sat and enjoyed fresh croissants with Bordeaux fleur de sel butter and homemade blueberry jam.
The hotel's breakfast buffet is served in the La Grand'Vigne restaurant; all the produce is sourced from the New Aquitaine region, excluding tea, coffee and sugar. It’s here that I discovered a new favourite tea by Mariage Frères, the French Breakfast tea. It has a wonderfully round and malty flavour. I intend to visit their tea shop in Covent Garden to get my French tea fix at the earliest opportunity.
The hotel has plenty of places to explore and walk off breakfast. Wildlife and nature surrounds you. White doves flutter from roof to turret and bees buzz around the fragrant lavender and wildflowers in the perfectly kept kitchen garden. The overall impression of the hotel’s design and landscaping is spectacular.
I couldn’t visit Les Sources de Caudalie and not try one of their signature treatments at the Spa Vinothérapie®, where they use the grapes from the vineyards due to their antioxidant and anti-aging properties. Who doesn’t want to be scrubbed all over with grape seeds, honey, brown sugar and essential oils? I chose the 100% grape ritual, including a Caudalie Hydra Facial, and a crushed Cabernet full body scrub followed by a head-to-toe massage.
As if all this weren’t spoiling enough, between treatments, you can bathe in the natural water drawn from the hot spring 540 metres below ground, whilst overlooking the beautiful gardens.
On our final day we abandoned our plans to explore the other châteaus and vineyards in the area as we simply couldn’t bring ourselves to leave this peaceful sanctuary. We started our day off with a wonderful walk through La Forêt des Sens (the forest of senses) in the heart of the estate; an art trail hidden in the woods, dotted with contemporary works of art by local artists. It’s a contemplative stroll among the trees, flowers and streams, which leads you to Château Smith Haut Lafitte’s Cellars hidden in the trees, where you can take a peek inside at the vast wine vats.
There is lots more to do at Les Sources de Caudalie, including tennis, yoga and a bicycle ride around the vineyards. You can explore all activities here. And of course adjacent to Les Sources de Caudalie, Château Smith Haut Lafitte opens its doors for workshops and guided tours, complete with tastings and the opportunity to explore the world of a classified Bordeaux Grand Cru.
The Plush Life verdict: A truly remarkable hotel that pulled me back to nature and left me feeling restored. I can’t wait to visit again. I’d also love to visit Les Sources de Cheverney in the Loire Valley, another hotel run by the same family, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting their new opening in Burgundy – set to open early 2025 on the site of a former abbey in Gilly, Côte-d’Or.
The details: Les Sources de Caudalie (sources-caudalie.com/en) offers double rooms from €279. Smith Haut-Lafitte, 33650 Martillac, France; +33 5 57 83 83 83; reservations@sources-caudalie.com
