A 72 ha wine estate and its manor house with outbuildings
close to the town of Carcassonne in the Aude department
Carcassonne, AUDE languedoc-roussillon 11000 FR

Location

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.

Description

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 first floor
A grand white stone staircase with wrought iron balustrade and wooden handrail leads to a huge corridor serving six bedrooms and a large bathroom. Three of the bedrooms have white-speckled black marble fireplaces and each has a window topped by a glass transom. The oak double doors leading to the bedrooms are painted in two shades of grey. The floor on the first upper level is of 19th century hardwood. The bathroom is tiled in black, blue and beige. It includes a toilet and is lit by two small windows in the upper part of the wall. All the rooms are in need of extensive restoration.

The outbuildings

These cover a total floor area of around 2,000 m².
The 900 m² winery, whose roof and part of the roof frame have been completely renovated, houses concrete wine vats. The stable and sheds have a floor area of 600 m². The facade of the barn is noteworthy for its semi-circular windows. They have Toulouse brick surrounds. The roof timbers form the shape of a ship's hull, inspired by the structure of a vessel, and the flooring is of original hardwood.

The buildings behind the manor house

Abutting the main building to the rear, they currently house the offices of the Groupement Foncier Agricole (agricultural land partnership), as well as seven flats of around 50 m² each, comprising a sitting room/dining room, an open-plan kitchen and a bedroom. The property is in need of major renovation work, both structural and in terms of finishings. The flats were given a brief facelift in the 1960s. It would be worthwhile to upgrade the complex by converting it into just two or three flats, which could be rented out as gîtes.

The vineyard

The property has a total surface area of 62 ha, 53 ha of which is planted with grapevines. 20 ha are located in the municipality of Carcassonne and the remaining 42 ha in the municipality of Pennautier. The grapevines surround the manor house and the outbuildings.
The altitude ranges from 106 to 136 metres, and the dominant exposure is south/south-west. The 53 ha of vines, with an average age of 20 years, produce PGI pays d'Oc wine, PGI cité de Carcassonne wine and table wine. PDO Cabardès wine can also be produced. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah for the reds, Chardonnay and Sauvignon for the whites.
Around 31% of the vines are less than 5 years old, 44% more than 5 years old and less than 25 years old, 25% more than 25 years old.

Our opinion

The manor house is in need of an ambitious renovation programme to enhance its neoclassical style. As for the wine estate, a report has been produced to document its economic potential in terms of both winegrowing and tourism. The report emphasised the need for an overall strategy based on the site's assets: the existence of a well-structured vineyard, with a sizeable surface area (over 50 hectares) and wine-making facilities; the presence of a manor house, which could become a guest house and provide a complete wine tourism facility. The estate is a natural beneficiary of Carcassonne's reputation as a 'double UNESCO site', the city of Carcassonne and the Canal du Midi.

Exclusive sale

2 100 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense


See the fee rates

Reference 988044

Land registry surface area 62 ha
Main building surface area 460 m2
Number of bedrooms 6
Outbuilding surface area 2000 m2

Consultant

Florence Lenfant +33 1 42 84 80 85

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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.

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