Monumental, sums up the new Sources de Caudalie adventure in Burgundy. A huge, historical monument brought back to life thanks to a brilliant team led by Alice and Jérome Tourbier.

In 2022, the Tourbiers purchased the rather old-fashioned chain Les Grandes Etapes Françaises. The sixth century former Cistercian priory, a listed historical monument (challenging for any renovation) has been restored to its former glory thanks to architects Chevalier & Guillemot.

It’s daring, not only crossing from Bordeaux to Burgundy but, also taking such a huge property, that could easily be austere, and making it into somewhere welcoming and comfortable.

The Tourbiers are no strangers to wine based hospitality. The first of the Sources Hotels opened in 1999, in the vines of Château Smith Haut Lafitte in Bordeaux and in 2020, they opened Les Sources de Cheverny, in the heart of the Loire Valley. 

The original Sources in Bordeaux is now classified ‘ Palace’ since 2016, whereas Les Sources de Cheverny feels more homely but all three offer five-star accommodation and service and enjoy the same clever blend of sustainability and discreet luxury. Although with less rooms than Bordeaux, Les Sources de Vougeot feels more ambitious. 

Perfectly placed

I first stayed at the Château de Gilly back in 2008 with French Wine Explorers. We used it as a base to discover the vineyards of the region. It is perfectly placed for wine tourism, in the village Gilly-lès-Cîteaux at the heart of the Grands Cru vineyards of the Côte de Nuits. Midway between Beaune and Dijon and just 25 minutes from the Dijon high speed TGV train station, making it three hours from Paris. Les Sources de Vougeot is perfectly placed to discover the vineyards of the Côte d’Or base for visiting the vineyards of Burgundy. 

Signature style 

The impressive monastic architecture is softened by the Tourbiers’ signature style – wine and regional books are scattered around the rooms and, working with interior decorators A S L, an eclectic choice of furniture gives the impression of someone’s (rather grand) family home rather than a formulaic hotel. 

Welcome

You enter the property from the village via a stone bridge over the old moat into a courtyard dominated by the church. The hotel entrance is a surprisingly small, almost secret, ancient oak door which opens into a spectacular lobby. This vaulted space sets the tone: once the priory’s kitchen, it is dominated by a huge double fireplace with a welcoming fire and huge sofas between the thick stone columns. 

The Chateau Bar, just off the reception, is draped in green velvet, a cosy setting for a glass of local wine from an interesting Burgundy by-the-glass selection. 

The rooms 

The 49 bedrooms and suites are shared between the main château and ancient former outbuildings across the site. One side of the Château is serviced by a lift, not the other. The ancient stone stairs, may be atmospheric, but might be challenging for some, do let them know if you can’t manage.

Our room under the eaves, had lovely, exposed beams with a mix of old charm and modern comfort. The bathroom married classic style with function, I do love a heated bathroom floor. lovely linens – and those signature slippers. 

Food and wine 

Across the courtyard, the two restaurants are overseen by Burgundian Chef Julien Martin, who honed his expertise at both Les Sources de Caudalie and Les Sources de Cheverny: The fine-dining ‘gastronomique’ restaurant is Le Clos de la Tour and the more relaxed brasserie L’Auberge des Cîteaux. The Brasserie was buzzing when we were there, lots of curious locals coming to discover the new offering alongside hotel guests. There’s clearly a lot of local goodwill. With open kitchens and floor-to-ceiling windows it overlooks a terrace in the courtyard for warmer days. Between the two, Le Comptoir offers another option for a glass of wine before lunch or dinner. The remarkable local wine list, includes an excellent selection of wines by the glass. 

Breakfast is served in the sun-drenched, east-facing glass Orangery overlooking the formal gardens. From here you can walk across another stone bridge over the moat to discover the formal gardens at the back of the property. 

Grounds for discovery

The setting is idyllic, the Vouge River runs alongside the château, bubbling over weirs and past the charming old mill (now a private suite). It makes for a lovely walk. They were still putting finishing touches to the property when I was there. I’m sure the wet winter hasn’t helped the garden project, but it will be spectacular. Flanked by ancient stone basins there’s a pool and tennis court tucked away behind a high hedge at the bottom of the grounds. Nearby ‘Le Pavillon des Jours’ has several bedrooms acting as a private residence in the elegant park. 

Bicycles were being delivered as I left. I can see guests enjoying the region ‘à bicyclette’

Wine and wellness 

The original vaulted wine cellar, previously the restaurant, is now home to the Caudalie spa. Twin pools between stone columns offer the option to swim lengths or enjoy the massaging water jets as you gaze up at the impressive, vaulted ceilings. 

Upstairs, a warm, wood-panelled relaxation salon leads to treatment rooms that dispense the signature grape based and polyphenols infused treatments. 

The service was excellent, the staff are terrific, keen to share their local knowledge and all clearly thrilled to be part of this new adventure. 

Next ?

Hardly finished with this project, the Tourbiers are already embarking on the renovation of their next property – Le Château d’Isenbourg near Colmar in the wine region of Alsace.

If you want to test drive The Sources de Vougeot, now is the time; there’s a special opening offer until the end of April. For more information – www.sources-vougeot.com Tel + 33 (0)3 80 23 22 22 reservations@sources-vougeot.com

Thanks for reading, if you find this useful and think other wine lovers would too, please share especially with anyone planning a trippy to Burgundy. Sign up here to receive future posts directly to your inbox.  For more about Bordeaux read the new Green Edition of Bordeaux Bootcamp, and explore Wine and Wellness, with  The Drinking Woman’s Diet  or just say hi  here.

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