Château de Bellevue
The château and its lush gardens make you feel like you’re in a fairy tale, particularly if you stay in the Princess Room. Photo by Gloria J. Chang.
It was like a fairy tale. A wine fairy tale. A French château with lush gardens – green and floral. An underground cellar filled with barrels of wine. And less than three kilometres away from two great red wine producers Domaine Marcel Lapierre and Domaine Jean Foillard. Château de Bellevue is a beautiful and restful, if not rural place to stay in the heart of the Cru Beaujolais – ten villages that are giving those in Burgundy up north a run for their money with red wines made of Gamay Noir. The style of wines range from fresh, red fruit dominant, meant to be drunk young to those that are more black fruit in character, tannic, and meant to be aged before enjoyed, sometimes resembling their northern Pinot Noir cousins. Located in the Cru of Morgon at the tip of Villié-Morgon, the château is a perfect location for visiting these Crus that can offer a less expensive alternative to the red Burgundys further north. Five gorgeous rooms and an apartment that fits 12. In the slideshow of photos below, you’ll see the view from the Zen Room and two wines I liked by Château de Bellevue itself. You’ll have lots of others to taste, sip, and enjoy amongst the granite hills of the Cru Beaujolais.
Slideshow photos by Gloria J. Chang.