Exterior

This may be the ideal place for American Bordeaux lovers to “try on” life in France’s most fabled wine country. Although built in a traditional style, Chateau des Amis has every amenity that visitors used to a high standard of accommodation could want: air conditioning, heated floors, a swimming pool, professionally equipped kitchen, marble-appointed bathrooms, high-speed Internet access and a one-minute stroll to the center of the commune of St. Emilion, home of the world’s greatest merlots.

Designed by a California winemaking couple, the limestone-clad villa is the product of local carpenters and stonemasons who used time-honored materials and artisanal building methods to create a home that, while it looks like a centuries-old manor, is modern in every respect.

Other amenities include a kitchen garden, fruit trees, vineyard views and 19 restaurants within walking distance. An English-speaking concierge is available onsite.

Interior

Chateau des Amis’s interior is an artful study in contrasting textures, combining rough-faced stone walls and rough-hewn ceiling beams with smooth, richly finished hardwood floors and white plaster walls. A two-sided fireplace serves as the house’s focal point.

With simple furniture, and open and airy interior spaces, the house is elegant, yet informal. Each bedroom has a bathroom with double sinks and floor-to-ceiling tumbled marble, and individually controlled air conditioning. The master bedroom’s tall windows overlook a vineyard.

The villa has a wine cellar and offers high-speed WiFi Internet access, as well as satellite TVs.

Property Highlights

• 4 bedrooms
• 4.5 bath
• In the heart of St. Emilion
• 19 restaurants within walking distance
• Private lot with swimming pool and gardens
• Combines traditional materials with modern amenities
• English-speaking concierge