A Domaine Clarence Dillon estates tour offers an unparalleled way to experience Bordeaux
Domaine Clarence Dillon produces some of the world's finest wine. We take a trip to their vineyards to see how

At Château Quintus the dirt is gold. The Bordeaux estate is located in one of the most valuable wine-making regions in the world, with a hectare of land going for at least €7m (a figure matched only by certain areas of Burgundy and Champagne).
That’s because the terroir – the particular combination of earth and weather that dictates the unique composition of a wine – is so perfect in this region, that it is nearly impossible to produce a bad grape. Still, the land is treated with devotional reverence and nurtured with maternal-like care. Every day, someone goes out and hand-picks the grapes, tastes them for quality, and prunes the leaves to ensure they get the exact right balance of sun and shade.
The result is a wine that is admired the world over for its quality, characterised by a fruity core that is enriched by the unique clay-limestone terroir. A trip to Bordeaux is not complete without a taste of it, nor, we would argue, a visit to it.
Saint-Émilion
Château Quintus is located right outside Saint-Émilion, a mediaeval village almost entirely carved out of limestone, with winding streets leading to cathedrals and empty convents and shop fronts with Old World script. A Unesco world heritage site, Saint-Émilion is so postcard-perfect it feels almost unreal.
When I went for dinner on my first night there, I was sat behind a long table of men in Breton shirts and berets pillaging bowls of mussels and baskets of baguette hunks. It felt like a joke but also inevitable – if I was ever going to see something so absurdly and stereotypically French it would have to be here.
Château Quintus
Château Quintus is only a 30-minute walk outside the village, through an equally storybook landscape of rolling vineyards and old windmills. You’ll know you’ve reached it when you spot a hilltop guarded by a large bronze dragon, with its wings spread wide and its claws poised. The statue was commissioned by Domaine Clarence Dillon’s Chairman & CEO Prince Robert of Luxembourg to protect the precious 45 hectares (including 42 of vineyards) on the estate.
Prince Robert has been an innovative force in the development of the historic Domaine Clarence Dillon house since he joined the family business (Clarence Dillon was his great grandfather) in 1997. He acquired Quintus in 2011, the fifth (hence the name) growth in the Domaine Clarence Dillon catalogue, alongside Château Haut-Brion red, Château Haut-Brion white, Château La Mission Haut-Brion red, Château La Mission Haut-Brion white
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
La Cave du Château
Château Haut-Brion, the estate considered the first luxury wine brand in the world, is closed to the public for renovations for the next two years, but the other Clarence Dillon locations can be visited for tasting sessions.
La Cave du Château, in particular, is a must-visit for those looking to purchase a few bottles of wine to bring back home. The traditional estate contains the third shop from La Cave du Château, which has been a key retail destination for connoisseurs of fine French wines since the first edition opened off the Champs-Elysées in 2015.
In a highly modernised environment, with touchscreens and state-of-the-art fridges, the shop provides wine lovers with the possibility of purchasing the latest vintages and collectable rarities from Domaine Clarence Dillon estates. Beneath the shop is a vast vaulted tasting room and patio for group tastings, or private or professional receptions.
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
Chateau Mission Haut Brion, can also be booked for private tasting sessions. A 16th-century estate with vineyards once maintained by Lazarist priests, the Chateau retains a cloister-like atmosphere, with a small, stained-glass windowed chapel, manicured gardens and sculptures of saints scattered throughout.
Inside the exclusive tasting room, visitors will find a space sculpted by Italian woodworkers, with walls covered in original engravings by Albrecht Dürer. It is a room that is special on its own, and creates a wine-tasting experience unlike any other.
All in all, the Clarence Dillon tour offers an exceptional experience of Bordeaux that is intoxicating in every sense of the word.
Mary Cleary is a writer based in London and New York. Previously beauty & grooming editor at Wallpaper*, she is now a contributing editor, alongside writing for various publications on all aspects of culture.
-
Two compact Canadian cabins borrow space-saving ideas from boat interiors
Space, storage and serenity are maximised in the interiors of these lakeside cabins, immersed in nature on Vancouver Island
-
Javier's, a new cathedral-inspired restaurant in downtown LA, offers a divine take on Mexican cuisine
At the restaurant's newest location, discovery lies around every corner – and on every plate
-
We'd happily move into this super-stylish New York architecture office
Michael K Chen’s newly expanded Midtown workspace is a calling card for his intuitive style and inclusive approach
-
At La Fondation hotel in Paris, minimalism has irresistible warmth
Once a parking lot, this 17th-arrondissement stay now offers rooftop city views, cocooning suites, and interiors by Roman and Williams
-
Sip in style at 30,000 feet with Air France’s new premier cocktail collection
The airline partners with mixologist Matthias Giroud on three new signature cocktails for its La Première customers – here’s to a modern negroni, or a spicy non-alcoholic tipple
-
Discover Philippe Starck’s most surreal hotel yet
At Maison Heler Metz, brutalism meets bedtime story, with a 19th-century home perched on a concrete tower and a fictional host guiding the way
-
Locke unveils its most theatrical aparthotel yet in Paris
Design studio Fettle creates a layered and light-filled escape for the hospitality brand’s first Paris outpost, Le Jardin de Verre by Locke
-
The most stylish hotel takeovers to pop up at this summer
From Capri to Ibiza, luxury fashion brands are taking over seaside resorts with exclusive boutique pop-ups and bespoke poolside accessories
-
Tour Eurostar’s sleek new lounges in Paris and Brussels
London-based Chris Bagot Architects has designed a stylish environment in which to work or unwind prior to high-speed rail travel
-
Taste a Louis Vuitton summer in sun-drenched Saint-Tropez
The Arnaud Donckele & Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton restaurant returns to the White 1921 Saint-Tropez hotel for its third edition, now with a Michelin star
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Experimental Marais: a lush homecoming for the hospitality force
Experimental Group returns to its Parisian roots, where it opened its founding bar, to launch its first-ever flagship hotel, designed by Tristan Auer