Sauternes and Barsac Open Days weekend 2026 and Clémentine châteaux of South Gironde
Sauternais Open Days 2026: A weekend along the route of Clément V’s châteaux
On 14 and 15 November 2026, around fifty Sauternes and Barsac estates will open their cellars. Between tastings, two days to link Cadillac, Budos, Villandraut, Cazeneuve and Roquetaillade—the fortresses of a Gascon pope and his nephews.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
Sud-Gironde, 14-15 novembre 2026
In mid-November, once the harvest is in, the Sauternais opens its doors. On Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026, nearly fifty estates in Sauternes, Barsac, Bommes, Fargues and Preignac will welcome the public free of charge from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This vineyard has another, lesser-known distinction: it is studded with fortresses built within just a few years by the same clan. Bertrand de Got, Archbishop of Bordeaux who became Pope Clement V in 1305, and several of his nephews—whom he made cardinals or showered with favours—erected a series of châteaux in the early 14th century, now known as the ‘Clémentine’ châteaux. Here’s a two-day itinerary linking them to the cellars, starting with the grand ducal residence of Cadillac on the far side of the Garonne.
The builders of this weekend
Clément V (Bertrand de Got)
vers 1264 - 1314
A Gascon from the Ciron valley, he became Archbishop of Bordeaux in 1299 and was elected pope on 5 June 1305. His pontificate was marked by pressure from Philip the Fair, the relocation of the papal court to Avignon in 1309 and the suppression of the Knights Templar at the Council of Vienne in 1312. He commissioned the palace at Villandraut and founded the collegiate church at Uzeste, where he was buried.
Jean-Louis de Nogaret de La Valette, duc d'Épernon
1554 - 1642
A favourite of Henri III, who made him duke and peer in 1581, he became one of the most powerful men in the kingdom and governor of Guyenne. He built the château of Cadillac between 1598 and 1634 before ending his days in disgrace under Louis XIII.
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
1814 - 1879
Architect and theorist of the restoration of medieval monuments, renowned for his work on Notre-Dame de Paris, Carcassonne and Pierrefonds. At Roquetaillade, from 1864 to 1878, he did more than restore the walls: he designed a complete interior decor and furniture for a family that still lives there today.
Preparing for the weekend
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Sources
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Day by day
The itinerary
Saturday 14 November: Cadillac and the heart of the vineyard
Morning at the ducal château of Cadillac, then cross the Garonne to Barsac, Preignac, Sauternes, Bommes and Fargues for the open days, with a stop at the foot of the ramparts of Budos at the end of the day.
Sunday 15 November: Villandraut, Cazeneuve and Roquetaillade
Morning on the banks of the Ciron, between the palace of Clement V, his collegiate church at Uzeste and Cazeneuve, then a guided tour of Roquetaillade in the afternoon before a final stop at the cellars.