For years, the French have been applauded as chic, youthful and poised – all achieved seemingly without effort. Along with their effortless sartorial choices and pharmacy skincare arsenal, the secret behind our continental neighbour’s ‘je ne sais quoi’, is a somewhat surprising one.
French women maintain that a staple of their wellness and beauty regime is, in fact, red wine.
As someone with a penchant for Cabernet Sauvignon by the bucketload, I have a serious amount of time for anyone who lives by this mantra, which is why I now consider Les Source de Caudalie a Mecca.
The luxury French hotel, which is just a 20-minute drive from Bordeaux, pays homage to wine in every sense. You can find it in bottles, barrels and in your beauty treatments.
Les Sources de Caudalie is inspired by the ‘French Paradox’, discovered over 20 years ago via a study proving that the French diet and lifestyle, particularly in Southwest France, is conducive to good health. Indeed, statistics and reports by cardiologists showed the positive effects of wine consumption with regard to fighting cardiovascular disease. In the name of research, we decided to live the French Paradox for a weekend. Cheers to that.
As we pull up to the delightfully rustic hotel, Les Source de Caudalie’s ode to wine quickly becomes apparent. The hotel is set within the sprawling Château Smith Haut Lafitte vineyards so you can literally stumble back to your bedroom across the vines after a few too many glasses of red. The spa, which sits in pride of place at the hotel’s entrance and was our first port of call, is named the Vinothérapie Spa and is the birthplace of the Caudalie brand.
Here at GLAMOUR HQ, we’ve been staunch fans of Caudalie and its purse-friendly yet effective skincare offering for years – and we’re not alone. Formulated without chemical nasties and made instead with ingredients from their vineyard, this is the French skincare brand glowy-skinned celebrities such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley simply can’t live without.
Founded by Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas, the skincare brand harnesses antioxidant-rich grape seeds, grapevine stalks and sap to pack into its products. The couple works in tandem with professor Joseph Vercauteren, laboratory director of the Pharmacy University of Bordeaux, to create their pioneering skin-boosting products. The team launched their first three skincare products in 1995 and after huge success across French pharmacies, it went on to become one of the most popular skincare brands in the world.
“We always dreamed of creating a unique moment of wellbeing, hidden amongst the heart of the brand,” explains the couples. “Exploring the family estate, where Caudalie first started, we discovered a hot spring 500 metres underground. This is how we came to create the first Vinothérapie Spa. Priding ourselves on the tiny details, this unique brand experience allows you to unwind, enjoy our specialist treatments, performed by leading Vinotherapists – an indulgent and rejuvenating experience away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.”
I plumped for the Resveratrol Facial; resveratrol is a miracle substance that vines produce to protect themselves from the harsh climates. The indulgent hour-long treatment harnesses the power of resveratrol to plump skin by stimulating the activity of proteins, resculpt your face by enhancing elastin production and collagen synthesis, and smooth out wrinkles thanks to hyaluronic acid. I left my treatment with juicy, plump skin and without the weight of the world on my shoulders. Several more hours were spent lazing around the spa’s facilities amidst the warming wood and rustic stone interiors and splashing around in the outdoor hot tub (which resembles an old wine press, naturally) and is full of water drawn from a natural hot-spring buried 540 metres beneath the earth.
We found tearing ourselves away from the spa’s plush facilities difficile enough, but dragging ourselves from our room was no mean feat. The hotel’s 60 rooms are set across six cottages which revolve around the region’s rich, varied culture as reflected in paintings, antiques, and warm-coloured fabrics. We stayed in a ‘Confort Suite’, which housed possibly the comfiest bed I’ve ever laid in, an incredible shower and breathtaking private terrace looking over the vineyards of the Château Smith Haut Lafitte. As a beauty aficionado, the bathroom’s Dyson hairdryer and plethora of Caudalie toiletries (of course) were most welcome.
When we did manage to emerge from our suite, we spent hours ambling the hotel’s grounds, breathing in the delicious scents of the fruitful vegetable and herb gardens, exploring the mini farm and borrowing the hotel’s bikes to get lost amidst the vines. En route, we stopped by for an extensive wine-tasting tour of the sophisticated Château Smith Haut Lafitte where we were treated to a glimpse of the owner’s James Bond-esque private cellar.
After expending our energy on our short bike ride back to the hotel (approximately four minutes), we refuelled with local gin and tapas on the terrace overlooking the stunning lake. Thankfully we left space for dinner, which was a decadent affair at the hotel’s two Michelin-starred restaurant, La Grand’Vigne. The plush eatery is set in the hotel’s chic and cosy orangery overlooking the lake on one side and vegetable garden on the other so you can literally see where the food you’re gorging on was hand-plucked from.
Much like a winemaker, Chef Nicolas Masse says he ‘seeks to express the very essence of this exceptional terroir and its produce’ so works with local fishermen, farmers and the hotel’s gardener to source only the best ingredients. Hoping to sample the very best French fare, we plumped for the tasting menu, which was a wonderful way of exploring Chef Nicolas Masse’s innovative creations such as sumptuously fresh langoustine and caviar, cauliflower pie, line-fished hake and the most indulgent chocolate pudding that’s ever passed our lips. Be sure to call on head sommelier, Aurélien Farrouil, to pair your dinner with Pessac-Léognan wines for the ultimate culinary experience before sinking into the fireside deep leather armchairs (or secret cigar room) for ‘one for the road’.
If you prefer a more casual dining experience, La Table du Lavoir serves delicious bistro-style food in a cosy, traditional setting. The restaurant houses the wash house, which has since been rebuilt stone by stone, and pays tribute to the winegrower’s wives who used to come here to do the washing in the 19th century. We visited for lunch and gazed across the vineyards as we chowed down on French onion soup and succulent meats roasted in the huge period fireplaces within the restaurant. Likewise, tapas and wine bar, Rouge, is the ideal place to spend a rainy afternoon nibbling on local delicacies such as Mesclun greens Burrata, Cebo iberian ham and soft bread doused in local olive oils.
Suitably stuffed and watered, we bid farewell to Les Source de Caudalie and vowed to return ASAP, as well as embrace the French Paradox lifestyle on our return to England, one glass of Château Smith Haut Lafitte at a time.
Stay at Les Sources de Caudalie from £240 per night. To book, visit sources-caudalie.com or call +33 5 57 83 83 83