Villa Rieucoulon, a vacation home rental in Montpellier, France

Architectural Extravagance and a Regal Garden

An 18th-century working wine estate, this chateau inspired by Italian Renaissance structures has been pared back and sleekly restored to highlight its detailed period architecture—magnificent molding, flagstone floors, an elegant, windowed orangery, and vaulted passageways. The transformed space is gallery-like and seductive, a spare architectural crossroads of history and modernity.

Three globetrotters combined their passions for wine, discovery, and design in updating this chateau and working vineyard into a serenely elegant property created for gathering and hosting. The minimalist approach by Paris Belleville-based architects Bianchimajer peels back ornamentation, allowing the classic beauty of the space to shine anew. Set amid producing vines on a manicured green crossed by footpaths, hedges, fountains, basins and groves, the noble space stands as a genteel echo of the past recreated for modern unwinding.

Vast common areas offer multiple entertaining halls, including a soaring orangery turned into a palatial dining room and a greenhouse converted into a sheltered swimming pool. The estate’s five suites are regal spots to lay your heads post celebration.

Set in a private park first planted in 1881 by its world-traveling aristocratic owner, the chateau offers a botanical showcase for multiple varieties of non-native trees—palms, Brazilian fruiting myrtle, North American sequoias and Lebanese Cedars. Giant cypress and gingko trees add to the botanical extravaganza. Vineyards dating from the property’s origins enclose the landscaped garden, and a bamboo grove stands adjacent to a dovecote.

Layout

The property sleeps 12 guests.

The ground floor includes a large fully equipped kitchen with a bar for entertaining, several indoor dining areas, a formal living room, and a family lounge with books, games, and a television.

The upper floor is accessible via a magnificent wooden staircase flanked by original stained-glass windows.

Six spacious bedrooms, including a master suite, are tastefully decorated in a modern style while preserving period touches. Each bedroom has its own private bathroom or walk-in shower.

•Bedroom 1: 160×200 bed, bathroom with walk-in shower, double sink, WiFi, air conditioning, wardrobe, hairdryer.

•Bedroom 2: King-size bed (200×200), bathroom with walk-in shower, double sink, WiFi, air conditioning, wardrobe, hairdryer, private terrace.

•Bedroom 3: Queen-size bed (180×200), bathroom with bathtub, double sink, WiFi, air conditioning, wardrobe, hairdryer.

•Bedroom 4: 160×200 bed, bathroom with walk-in shower, double sink, WiFi, air conditioning, wardrobe, hairdryer.

•Bedroom 5: 160×200 bed, shared bathroom.

•Bedroom 6: Adjoining room with 2 single beds (90×190), double sink, shower, WiFi, air conditioning, wardrobe, hairdryer.

There is a 3x14m heated pool within the walls of the former orangery, all set within a two-hectare park. There are four private parking spaces.

Amenities

Fiber WiFi, sun loungers, covered terrace with tables, plancha area, pétanque court, table tennis, Mölkky game, air conditioning, oven, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, kettle, Nespresso coffee machine, smoke detector, washing machine, dryer, hairdryer, TV, SONOS audio system, high chair, children's books, crib.

Included in the weekly rental: toiletries and bath amenities, pool heating, electricity, water & gas consumption, bed linen and household linens, garden and pool maintenance, WiFi, daily housekeeping, pool and/or beach towels, gardener, pool maintenance. Daily housekeeping service (outdoor areas, kitchen, sanitary facilities) is included from 9:00am to 11:00am (excluding bedrooms).

Good to know

Note: Please note that the pool water temperature varies depending on weather conditions. In winter it cannot exceed 23°C.

The pool is not supervised, and parents must supervise their children at all times when using the jacuzzi, pool, sauna, or hammam. The pool can be fenced on request.

Experiences

For a personalized stay, various additional services are available on request and at extra cost. These include wine tasting from the estate, organization of activities and excursions, continental breakfast, private chef services, linen change service, chauffeur services for easier transportation. There is a golf course less than 10 minutes away.

Around

The property is a quick 10 minutes from the heart of the Mediterranean city of Montpellier, which is some 10 kilometers inland from the coast. Montpellier is lesser known than other celebrated cities of the South of France like Nice and Marseille, but it's every bit as beautiful and storied. This is classic southern France, land of aromatic herbs, rocky inlands of timeless beauty, and an atmospheric old town dating to the 10th century, when the city was founded. A university town, the medieval heart of Montpellier is vibrant and youthful, pedestrian at its heart and full of streetfront cafes, outdoor markets, and wide parks and esplanades such as the Place du Peyrou with its own Arc de Triomphe anchoring one end, and a distant ancient aqueduct the other.

The town’s Jardin de Plantes is France’s oldest botanical garden, dating from the 1500s, with more than 2,500 species. Montpellier’s Musée Fabre houses works from the 14th to 20th centuries, including pieces by Monet, Degas and Rubens, and the Gothic Cathedral of St. Peter is the city’s most magnificent church. Known for its cultural events and festivals, the city is also home to two opera houses, many theaters, and multiple ancient university buildings.