Médoc Route des Châteaux: Driving the D2 and Booking Visits

The Médoc route des châteaux is the wine road that follows the D2 for about a hundred kilometers, from Blanquefort to Saint-Vivien-de-Médoc near the Pointe de Grave. It passes through the six Haut-Médoc communes: Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Moulis-en-Médoc and Listrac-Médoc.

The Médoc's 1855 Grands Crus Classés include Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux and Mouton-Rothschild.

This guide covers the drive from Margaux to Saint-Estèphe, the châteaux along it that take visitors, their days and fees, and how to book.

Getting there

From Paris, the high-speed train reaches Bordeaux in 2 hours 4 minutes, with 33 round trips a day. From Bordeaux, the TER Bordeaux – Le Verdon-sur-Mer line crosses the whole Médoc and stops at Margaux, Moulis-Listrac and Pauillac. For the train from Paris, see Paris to Bordeaux by train.

By car

From the Bordeaux ring road (A630), leave at exit 7 or 8 and follow the D2 toward Blanquefort, Macau and Margaux. Coming from Paris by road, take the A10 toward Bordeaux to reach the ring road.

From Royan, the ferry crosses the Gironde to Le Verdon-sur-Mer: follow the D1215 toward Lesparre, then turn onto the D2. A second ferry runs from Blaye to Lamarque.

Without a car

For the Margaux châteaux, the tourist office advises Margaux Cantenac station, where taxis and rental cars are available on request. Pauillac has 12 trains a day from Bordeaux. Regional coach line 424 (formerly 705) runs from Bordeaux to Pauillac, with stops at Cussac-Fort-Médoc and Saint-Julien-Beychevelle.

The Bordeaux Metropolitan Tourist Office runs the Châteaux & Terroirs half-day coach tour to the Médoc on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It leaves 12 Cours du 30 Juillet at 1:30 p.m., returns about 6:30 p.m. and visits two châteaux, with two wines tasted at each. More options are in Bordeaux to the Médoc.

The route, commune by commune

Margaux and Cantenac

Château Margaux opens its cellars by appointment only, and tasting there is only for professionals. Send a request through its contact form, choosing the subject "Visit the estate," or call +33 5 57 88 83 83.

Château Kirwan in Cantenac runs a 1-hour Prestige tour at €30 ($32), with one wine each of Charmes de Kirwan and Château Kirwan, for groups of up to 12. Its Barrel tasting costs €90 ($97) and its Vintage year tasting €100 ($108), both 1 hour 30 minutes. Bring warm clothes for the cellar tastings.

Also in Cantenac, Château Angludet runs tasting tours at €25 ($27), €40 ($43) and €50 ($54). Château Prieuré-Lichine sits on the D2 at 34 avenue de la Vème République, with visits from €12 to €35 ($13–38).

In Labarde, Château Giscours at 10 route de Giscours runs tasting tours from €10 to €120 ($11–130) for groups of 5 to 15. Call +33 5 57 97 09 09.

Saint-Julien

Château Beychevelle takes tours by appointment only, in French and English, for up to 15 guests. The Amiral, a 1 hour 15 minute tour of the cellars and winemaking with a tasting, costs €40 ($43). The Pairing, a blind tasting of four wines with mature French cheeses and charcuterie, costs €80 ($86) for 2 to 10 people. Book by phone on +33 5 56 73 38 01 or at visite@beychevelle.com.

Château Branaire-Ducru runs private tours by appointment in French, English and Italian. The Classic lasts 1 hour and ends with a tasting of three wines, for up to 10 people. The Signature, at €85 ($92), includes a vertical of Château Branaire-Ducru wines.

Château Gruaud Larose runs private visits by appointment, most from two people, in French, English and German. L'incontournable lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and costs €55 ($59). Book on +33 5 56 73 89 43 or at visit@gruaud-larose.com.

Château Lagrange runs a private tour ending with a tasting of four wines, in English or French. Tours start at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and at 2, 3 and 4 p.m. The online form is a booking request, which the château confirms by email.

Pauillac

Château Mouton Rothschild runs private tours by appointment only. A tour followed by a tasting lasts about two to two and a half hours, in French, English or another language with an interpreter.

Château Lynch-Bages runs a 1 hour 30 minute cellar visit, in French, English or German depending on availability. Beside the estate, the village of Bages has Café Lavinal, a boutique, a butcher's shop and bike rental.

Château Duhart-Milon stands in the village of Pauillac, near the estuary and docks. Its 1-hour Discovery Tour at €30 ($32) and 1 hour 30 minute Experience Tour at €40 ($43) are by reservation only.

Château Pichon Baron takes visits by reservation only, by phone on +33 5 56 73 17 17 or at contact@pichonbaron.com. Visits go from the vineyard to the cellars and end with a tasting of three wines.

The Maison du Tourisme et du Vin at La Verrerie in Pauillac books visits at its partner châteaux and provides a map of the Grand Cru châteaux. La Randonnée des Châteaux starts there, with loops of 8 and 14 km on foot or by bike. The 14 km loop takes about 4 hours and passes Château Pontet-Canet, Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Pédesclaux, with a viewpoint over Lafite Rothschild.

Saint-Estèphe

Château Lafon-Rochet takes visits by appointment throughout the year, in English and French. The 1-hour Tradition Visit, a tour followed by three wines, costs €25 ($27), and the Experience Visit, with a barrel tasting, costs €40 ($43). Book at visites@lafon-rochet.com or on +33 5 24 23 01 83.

Château Phélan Ségur opens by appointment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Send a request through its contact page.

Cos d'Estournel is built like an oriental palace, with pagodas over its gravity-flow cellar. Its private tours with a tasting of 6 wines last 2 to 3 hours. Book through its visit form, on +33 5 56 73 15 50 or at visite@estournel.com.

When to go

The châteaux on the route receive visitors all year. These open fewer days in winter:

• Château Kirwan: Monday to Saturday from May to October, Monday to Friday from November to April, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Château Beychevelle: Monday to Saturday from May to September, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. From October to April, Monday to Friday, closing at 5:30 p.m.
• Château Branaire-Ducru: Monday to Saturday from April to the end of October, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. From November to the end of March, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Château Lafon-Rochet: Monday to Saturday from April to the end of October, Monday to Friday from November to the end of March, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Château Phélan Ségur: every week from March to October, Monday to Friday the rest of the year.

For Sunday visits, Château Angludet opens daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 1 to October 31, and Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. Château Giscours opens Monday to Sunday from April 1 to October 31 and Monday to Saturday the rest of the year, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Château Pichon Baron opens every day of the year by appointment.

Some châteaux take weekday visits only. Château Lagrange runs its private tour Monday to Friday, public holidays excluded, and Duhart-Milon opens Monday to Friday all year. Gruaud Larose's visit office opens Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Lynch-Bages runs its cellar visit Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Château Margaux and Mouton Rothschild stop visits during the harvest. Branaire-Ducru stays open for visits during the grape harvest, and Gruaud Larose runs a half-day harvest experience, Secrets d'un vendangeur, for 2 to 8 people.

Visiting the estates

On the Médoc wine route, a visit is by reservation unless the château clearly announces visits without an appointment. Duhart-Milon's 30-minute Guided Tasting is one exception: it needs no reservation, subject to availability.

Booking methods differ from one château to the next:

• Online: Château Kirwan and Château Lynch-Bages take bookings through a booking link on their websites.
• Request form: Château Margaux, Château Lagrange and Cos d'Estournel take requests through a form.
• Phone or email: Beychevelle, Gruaud Larose, Pichon Baron and Lafon-Rochet take bookings by phone or email.
• Through the tourist office: the Maison du Tourisme et du Vin in Pauillac books visits at its partner châteaux.

Lead times vary. Beychevelle's Pairing must be booked at least 7 days ahead with prepayment, and Lafon-Rochet's meal experiences need at least one week's notice, for two people or more.

The Bordeaux tourist office's wine château listing, with 139 châteaux, has filters for the Médoc, online booking, Sunday opening and crus classés.

What it costs

An entry-level visit or tasting along the route costs €15–40 ($16–43) per person.

• €15 ($16): Lafon-Rochet's 30-minute Essential Tasting of three wines
• €20 ($22): Duhart-Milon's 30-minute Guided Tasting
• €25 ($27): Gruaud Larose's 30-minute Panoramique and the Lynch-Bages cellar visit
• €30 ($32): Château Lagrange's private tour
• €40 ($43): Beychevelle's Amiral and Branaire-Ducru's Classic

At the other end, Cos d'Estournel's private tours start at €750 ($810) for 1 to 6 people, and Beychevelle's Reserve costs €800 ($864) for 2 to 6 people. Lynch-Bages's 2 hour 30 minute tasting activities start at €75 ($81) per person.

Without a car, a single regional coach ticket costs €2.50 ($3), and the tourist office's Châteaux & Terroirs tour costs €55 ($59) per person.

Before you go

• Book every château visit as early as possible: some estates are booked up for several days.
• Château Margaux and Mouton Rothschild take visitors Monday to Friday only and close on public holidays. Château Margaux also closes in August.
• Book Mouton Rothschild at least two months ahead. Groups are limited to eight people.

For the wider region, see the Bordeaux wine region and Booking Bordeaux château visits.