Clos De Chinon

Nestled between Saint-Emilion and Bergerac, Clos des Chinon lies in a part of the world as much famed for its beauty, tranquillity and verve as for its wine, cuisine and rolling vineyards.

Staying in a luxury, boutique 'Maison Bourgeoise' you will enjoy a glimpse into the real France. From the bustling local markets and antique fairs; to relaxing, kir in hand, on a local café terrace; to experiencing the history and wonder of Saint Emilion and Bordeaux. This elegant house is set in beautiful grounds, surrounded by the vines with a huge barn and pigeonnier.

Any amount of catering is possible - why not have breakfast ready for you each morning or indulge in a 3 course gourmet dinner? Picnic bags for lunch can also be arranged. A 3 course gourmet dinner including wine is €65 p/p. Please note that the house is rented on a self catering basis but the owners are on hand to prepare any additional gourmet meals should you want them.

All four of our comfortable bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms. A sumptuous breakfast can be served daily in the garden or living area. The dining area allows for cosy conviviality, with its blazing log fire during the cooler months.

The house has been completely redecorated to the very highest standard with the help of a great local architect and his artisans. Everything is here to provide and help create an unforgettable dining experience. The kitchen dining area is a great place to have informal lunhes and to roast chestnuts over the massive open fire. The living room has two comfortable sofas and a more formal dining area for 8 people.

There are 4 double bedrooms (one on the ground floor), all with en-suite bathrooms. The master bedroom has a very large four-poster bed. The house also benefits from internet connection, central heating and towels provided daily. The bathrooms have heated towel rails

Outside there are an abundance of fruit trees and bushes: cherry, plum, apple, pear, raspberrries and figs. There is also a private swimming pool and plenty of space for parking.

*Please note, locations shown on the maps are approximations only

The house lies an hour from Bordeaux, 30 mins from Bergerac and 20km from St Emilion. The local village of Gensac is just 1km away.

The City of Bordeaux is less than an hour from us and you can visit the buzzing restaurants, theatres and incredible architecture. Bergerac, much smaller than Bordeaux, has a very enchanting old town that has great individual shops, fountains, cobble stone streets, a market Bricante every 1st Sunday of the month and a traditional market every Wednesday.

Stop at St Foy La Grande to enjoy a coffee in the square, take a walk along the river or if you are around on Saturday morning you will find shopping a real delight.

Leaving the house to get to St Emilion (everyone must visit this pretty village!), you should drive through Pujols as just outside is a great little restaurant with a very pleasant atmosphere and fantastic food. Sunday is a good day for venturing to Issegac Market. The town itself is quaint and riddled with tiny rivers, loved by tourists and locals a like. The dessert wines of our region are fantastic and the Monbazilliac wine, a musty fragrant delight from this spot is very good value.

My favourite restaurant serving classical cuisine is just a few kilometres away and it is essential to be hungry when you arrive. The vineyard workers of the area leave for their day with sustenance, at this family orientated place. The soup of beans, vegetables, made from duck stock is probably the best I have ever tasted.

If you yearn for sea air and seafood make an early start to set off for Arcachon Bay, it will take two hours to get there. The shops are smart and the ambience is that of well visited resort where sophisticated Bordelaise promenade. Spain is approximately 4 hours away from us and en route Bidart, St Jean De Luz & Biarritz.

Our region is an area rich with vineyards and Chateaux of every shape and type, grapes and vines as far as the eye can see, lush and green and such wonders yet to be realised to the full.

Clos de Chinon offers informal art courses, holistic recreation and treatments, all arranged with local businesses but you are of course free to simply put your feet up and relax within the grounds of the house. Throughout the year we have a culinary adventure in operation! For this cookery experience, you will be invited in to the kitchen to watch, learn and engage in the joy of cooking. You will leave with great new ideas and the ability to direct a fantastic dinner party at home, with some of Barbara and Jonathan's recipes, lovely memories and a burning desire to return to celebrate an event with some close friends.

We offer cookery courses during your stay should they be of interest - please enquire! The holiday can be complemented by attending music festivals (seasonal), Fetes and Medieval Festivals (the History of the Hundred Years' War surrounds us), or you can just rest in the garden, with one of our many interesting books, enjoy the pool or have an Indian head massage.

Jonathan and Barbara are Chefs by profession, with their restaurant career in London spanning three decades. They have had recognition from major restaurant guides such as the 'Michelin' and 'The Good Food Guide', and more importantly enticing a band of loyal fans. Through the years, there were many challenges but they were forever moving with the times and were always on the lookout for fresh ideas; just about every London food critic took note and wrote favourably about their cuisine, particularly praising the unique style of cooking, presentation and freshness of their ingredients.

Closed during the winter...so no catering available during the Christmas.

We offer cookery courses during your stay should they be of interest - please enquire! The holiday can be complemented by attending music festivals (seasonal), Fetes and Medieval Festivals (the History of the Hundred Years' War surrounds us), or you can just rest in the garden, with one of our many interesting books, enjoy the pool or have an Indian head massage.

Jonathan and Barbara are Chefs by profession, with their restaurant career in London spanning three decades. They have had recognition from major restaurant guides such as the 'Michelin' and 'The Good Food Guide', and more importantly enticing a band of loyal fans. Through the years, there were many challenges but they were forever moving with the times and were always on the lookout for fresh ideas; just about every London food critic took note and wrote favourably about their cuisine, particularly praising the unique style of cooking, presentation and freshness of their ingredients.

Weddings
If you are planning a really small wedding in the most beauitiful region of France and you want to stay in a very special French country house look no further.

We have a silver and whispery grey suite with 4 huge windows allowing light and sun to illuminate this elegant space. The property has one other suite and a further 2 bedrooms with their own bathrooms accomodating close family or friends. There are also other properties nearby to provide further accomodation.
 
We will provide amazing celebration meals and more simple compositions throughout your stay. We know where to find your music, who can arrange for flowers and the park is a stunning backdrop for some beautiful pictures.
 
The perfect wedding stay is 5 nights which gives you a chance to relax after your journey, enjoy some swimming....perhaps a massage or reflexologist from 55 euros per session, per person.
Just leave it all to us as you unwind and enjoy every moment which leads to the main celebration.
 
Wedding package: The house is yours for 5 nights with a total of 8 guests.

£5.500 includes the following:
- Welcome drinks on the patio.
- Afternoon tea.....A selection of your favourite things served in the Garden.
- Dinner in the evening.
 
- The great day ....WE can help you with ideas regarding an extra arrangements.
- Celebration meal  for 8 people TO include amuse buches/3 bottles of champagne.
- Starter: White wine.
- Main course: Red Wine.
- Dessert... dessert wine from Monbazilliac.
- 3 bottles of champagne for toasting the happy couple.
- Coffee and sweet things/choc things.
120 euros per person and 120 euros for each person beyond the 8 residents.

Wedding cakes made just for you. Cost according to style and size required.
Buffet or barbecue on the next day at £70.00 per person for food served at 2pm till 4PM, includes: pimms, red and white wine.
If you need anything else just let us know how we can help!

- Security deposit: €1000. This must be paid prior to arrival and will be refunded in full after departure subject to damage inspection.
- Linen & towels: All linen and bath towels are included in the rental price.
- Energy costs: Included in the rental price in the summer. To expenditure in the winter. This could be up to €1000 per week if the property needs to be fully heated for a week e.g. over Christmas.
- End of stay cleaning: Please leave the property in the state that you found it otherwise a cleaning charge may apply.
- Arrival time: 4pm onwards.
- Departure time: 10am.
- Pets: No.
- Xmas & New Year: Please note that catering is included in the price for Xmas & New Year bookings.
- Smoking: No smoking in the property.
- It is recommended that all guests take out insurance to cover against potential cancellation and any accidental damage caused during your stay at the property.

We stayed for a long weekend in August as this was one of the nearest places to a wedding we were attending. I think we got lucky. Thanks to Jonathon and Barbara we had a fantastic holiday rather than a rushed visit for our friends big day. Situated in a rural setting surrounded by vineyards you need a car. If you have transport then you are no more than 30 minutes from a number of great places to visit. Even Bordeaux isn't too far. We found it very relaxing - I wish we could have stayed longer and enjoyed relaxing with the cats by the pool. Jonathon and Barbara are fantastic hosts, and my goodness you won't starve! Breakfast was fit for the Gods never mind royalty. Eating in the tranquility of the garden taking our time talking it felt more like staying with friends. The rooms are very stylish and quirky antiques are so interesting. We ate (in the evening) once during our stay - a fantastic event. The food made no compromises - even though the electricity was out for a bit of the day due to storms which must have made cooking difficult. I will always remember my first oysters by candlelight :). We made 1 mistake - only eating here once. Next time we will eat in house far more if these 2 great chefs don't mind. Thank you both for a great holiday.

Pam

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My partner and I chose this hotel on the internet as we were planning a few days in Bordeaux. It was really superb, Barbara and Jonathon were the perfect hosts and couldnyt have been more helpful and interesting, the room was fabulous and funky and of course the food was second to none (esp the poached pears). Its a great base from which to explore and well off the beaten track. For me it was home from home and we shall definitely be returning when we can.

Paul & Claire

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We stayed for 3 nights and found the stay delightful. The rooms are a tasteful mix of traditional french and modern chic. Everything is spotless and our en-suite was nearly the size of our large bedroom. It was great to lounge around the pool during the day and discuss the menu for dinner, over drinks with our hosts. Jonathan and Barbara are exceptional chefs who go to great lenghts to give you food that you will love. We recommend stuffed squid, prawns with chorizo or rack of lamb. We were well looked after and we'll be back.

The Aitches

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Meant to write this review a year ago but it's better late than never. Lovely rural setting and stay with 2 very hospitable former London chefs (if occasionally idiosyncratic). They had only just opened up for business when we stayed. Rooms were comfy, renovation nicely done and we were well looked after. The clear highlight of the stay was the food - if you can persuade Jonathon to cook for you for a night this will be a treat (we had eaten at a Michelin 1-star restaurant the night before and while different in style, the food was every bit as good). Only suggestion for them to change was the addition of shower screens! They have baths with shower fittings but no screens (we inevitably soaked the bathroom floor!)

Dr Barnes

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We wanted to experience the countryside near St. Emilion and found this wonderful B&B by chance .... I read the reviews and took a chance and we were both delighted. We had first class service in a cozy home in the country, only about a half-hour from St. Emilion, where hotels can be pricey and touristy. This place is neither. The owners are fantastic chefs and we were served a delicious 4-course dinner, well worth the extra euros. The breakfast was fresh and plentiful! The location was beautiful and peaceful. The only thing missing was a stand-up shower stall, which we Americans are so used to. Other than that, the ambiance and decor were very tasteful.

Penny

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My family and I stayed here during a recent half term break and this charming, forgive me - I don't normally do cliches, hotel proved a lovely base to explore the Dordogne and surrounding area. It has recently been converted by a couple who ran a restaurant and delicatessen in west London that we often frequented and the attention to detail that they had on those premises they have transferred to France. When I say a small hotel, I mean small in the amount of rooms, not the size of them. The space, both in the rooms, communal areas and grounds, is very conducive for a relaxing break and this is complimented by its location on the edge of small village about 30 minutes from Bergerac airport (I would recommend hiring a car). The region is very historical, Sir John Talbot met his demise nearby, and ideal for walking and generally getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Anonymous

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i travelled the world for business, and have found 2 year ago the hospitality of the johnthan and barbara something rare in the hospitality business. i have been back this year, and once again the two have surprised me with the warmest, attention to detail as well as relaxed attitude in providing 5 star service in all aspects of our stay, while at the same time make you feel at home. i hope to make my visits there a costant feature of my future years, not only to be back as guest, but having feeling to be back as a friend.

Family from Italy, June 2011

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We stayed for 2 nights of complete indulgence. Barbara and Jonathon looked after us and there wasn't anything which was too much trouble. They cooked for us and both breakfast and the evening meal were lovingly prepared - the food as we remember from Chinon was heavenly! We left with some very special memories and felt very much at home in the house and loved the beautiful suites. We even got to use the pool at the house! Would definitely recommend a trip to Clos de Chinon (and a return trip for sure!).

Mark, May 2011

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