A 72 ha wine estate and its manor house with outbuildings close to the town of Carcassonne in the Aude department - ref 775822
A 72 ha wine estate and its manor house with outbuildings close to the town of Carcassonne in the Aude department.
The estate is located in the Aude region, in the immediate vicinity of the town of Carcassonne. It borders the Canal du Midi and is 4 km from the city, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. Designed in the 17th century by Pierre-Paul Riquet to link the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, the Canal du Midi, once a means of carrying goods and people, is now used by many yachtsmen and tourists. It passes through the heart of the town of Carcassonne. The locks, bridges, aqueducts and canal bridges along the 240 km of waterways demonstrate a historic accomplishment, and are as much a feat of engineering as works of art.
10 minutes from the A61 motorway, 15 minutes from Carcassonne railway station and airport, which operates year-round flights to Brussels and London.
A large wrought iron gate opens onto an extensive oval-shaped lawn, encircled by two driveways leading to the main house. The property also includes outbuildings, some of which are directly connected to the main dwelling. Forming a U-shape, they but onto each other and house seven lodgings. The driveway that runs alongside the house on the left leads to a lawned courtyard lined with plane trees, bordered by the various buildings erected for wine production: a winery, a caretaker's cottage, a stable and a shed, among others. The house, the adjoining buildings and the grounds cover an area of 2.24 hectares.
The manor house has a classical-style rectangular shape and faces south-north. The two-storey building extends over a floor area of approx. 260 m² and is topped by garrets. Built in the late 19th century in a neoclassical style, it is currently in need of major restoration works. Its main stone facade, with light grey rendering, features ten slightly arched windows topped by glazed transoms and protected by shutters. The entrance door is accessed via a wide perron with a wrought-iron balustrade. The window frames are of grey cement. The French window above the entrance door on the first floor opens onto a small balcony with a wrought iron balustrade, supported by two carved stone brackets. The top of the elevation is adorned with a stone roof entablature. The four-pitched roof, with three skylights and six chimney stacks, is laid with interlocking Languedoc clay tiles.
The outbuildings are also of stone and terracotta; the rendered walls have straight or semi-circular windows, mostly with brick surrounds; the roofs, mostly gable, are of interlocking or monk-and-nun tiles.
The vineyard covers an area of 53 hectares, and the vines planted here are of different varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Cinsault and Muscat.
The manor house
The ground floor
A half-glazed wooden double entrance door, topped by a curved glass transom, opens into a hallway with diamond-patterned cement tile flooring, panelled walls and a moulded ceiling. This hallway leads to two ceremonial reception rooms on either side. The vast rooms have high ceilings.
The walls of the first sitting room are still adorned with oak wainscoting, topped with green and cream wall coverings. The fireplace is of red marble with white veining, the floor is wide strip hardwood and the ceiling has decorative mouldings. The coffered ceiling of the second sitting room also features mouldings, the large original windows are protected by wrought iron guardrails and the fireplace is of white marble. At the end of the corridor, to the left of the staircase, the very basic kitchen has preserved its original Art Deco tiles. Next to the kitchen is a small drawing room for reading, adorned with a black marble fireplace. Quaint wallpaper featuring Japanese flowers covers the walls.
The upstairs
A grand white stone staircase with ...
