La Belle Demeure

La Belle Demeure was constructed in 1882 and its unique village setting comprises exclusive accommodation for up to 12 guests. La Belle Demeure is the central and larger part of the Domaine, a beautiful three-storey French Victorian townhouse comprising 6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms (of which 3 are complete suites with additional private salons). The discreet and quiet owners live in the other flank of the Domaine with access to the gardens and are readily available if ever you need them. The frontage faces the road running through the wine village of Rieux-Minervois, and to the rear is a large and private Mediterranean parkland with delightful walled garden containing a private pool.

The house occupies all three storeys of the centrally located maison de maître and the rear of the property overlooks the Mediterranean gardens and walled pool area. A large central hallway runs from front to back, each with its own set of huge doors and vast central stone staircase. Many features - marble fireplaces and matching marble windowsills, cornicing, ceiling roses, doors and door furniture, the staircase, shuttered windows, tiled floors, panelled walls, corbels - have been beautifully preserved and provide the history and aesthetic of the house. The rear rooms have single south-facing windows which overlook the gardens whilst the front rooms are north-facing with two windows, some with views to the Montagnes Noires.

Décor has been very carefully considered by the owners and includes some fabulous furnishings and fixtures throughout from well known brands both European and British, that grace the pages of high-end interior magazine pages. Particular attention has been paid to bedroom comfort with quality bedding and unique beds in each room. The large entrance hall is 12m long with beautifully corniced ceilings and Italian porcelain tiled floor including an Indonesian console table in the central hallway and turquoise stained glass pieces. This leads to the rear double doors which step out to the al frseco dining area, park and walled garden with pool.
The ground floor consists of a front living room, decorated with striking pinks and greens, matching sofa and dramatic marble fireplace, and a dining room in subtle lilacs and sage with matching chairs and wood panelling. The library room overlooks the rear gardens and is adorned with bespoke objets, contemporary leather sofas and armchairs and designer coffee table. The kitchen, with large island, is opposite and similar in colour tones to the library that gives a sense of uniformity of schemes of these two lovely rooms. Upstairs, three suites and three en suite bedrooms over two further floors are each uniquely decorated and immaculately dressed to exacting standards. Particular highlights include the rolltop bath in the Versailles suite where bathers can place a glass of bubbly atop the bath whilst relaxing in the designer armchair, and a gold sleigh bed frame in the Nautilus suite with its vintage armoire.

From La Belle Demeure it's just a short walk to the village square where the boulangerie, boucherie and grocers can all be found, along with the local bar. Even closer is the local restaurant. The nearby wineries are, unsurprisingly, surrounded by hectares of vineyards! Several are just a few minutes’ drive away. Unesco world heritage site Carcassonne (24km), famous for being one of the only fortified cities in Europe still with its walls intact, is a short drive. Narbonne (40km) and Perpignan (103km) are also easily reached by car for the day. South towards the Spanish border and with some Catalan influences, the coastline combines cliffs and coves with a network of villages as far south as Collioure (134km). Closer around Gruissan (55km), the coastline is flatter and renowned for its salt flats and pink flamingos. Further round the coastline the fishing villages of Marseillan (92km) and Sète (120km) can be found on the Etang de Thau, where oysters and mussels are farmed in the sea lakes. There are several airport options within a couple of hours' drive including Carcassonne (29km), Perpignan (98km), Montpellier (138km) and Toulouse (138km) to name a few.