Originally the château of one of the premier wine-producing families of France, Relais de Margaux blends a prestigious past with all the facilities of a top class hotel. Standing in a 55-hectare estate, this intimate 19th-century château is prettily furnished in traditional French and British style whilst preserving the elegance and sophistication of a nation that knows all about ‘the art of living’. Between the mighty River Gironde and the Atlantic are the rolling fertile vineyards of the Médoc where wine is king. Out of respect for it, comes gastronomic excellence, a doctrine to which Relais de Margaux enthusiastically subscribes. The master chef has a repertoire of the highest calibre using home-grown produce and local specialities such as crab, langoustine and eels. You expect the wine list to be exceptional – and it is. You can wrestle with your choice in the restaurant set, as it is amongst the wine racks of the ancient cellars.