We have been lucky enough to live all over the world, in large cities open to culture, nature and a certain art de vivre (namely Paris, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Mexico, Yaoundé, and Berlin). When looking for a family house, guest house, and a place to invite friends, it felt as though we were attempting the impossible. We wanted to live in the middle of nature and vineyards, in a mild climate, in a region with a rich cultural life, and for it all to be within easy reach of Paris and London where most of our friends live. La Touraine stood out to us. What was initially a sensible choice became a passionate one. During our research, we fell under the spell of Touraine and the Loire, the wild nature, the rich architectural, historical and cultural heritage, the lush gardens and majestic chateaus, the wines and the gastronomy. Life here is gentle yet dynamic.
Le Gaimont is a small wine-making chateau built on a hillside. The wine production dates back to the 15th century. It is a large enclosed plot with terraced gardens and high stone walls. The property's singularity lies in the intermingling of the frame, the vegetation and the volumes carved into the rock. Together they form a maze of universes suspended between rock and sky. The preserved materials give pride of place to noble and natural materials: patinated terracotta tiles, oak floors, cabochons, cut stone, ceramics and ironwork. Once through the large entrance gateway, a proud dressed stone and brick facade built in the 19th century introduces the large display cellars and the wine-producing vocation of the estate. These impressive stone vaults lead directly to the ripening galleries on the upper floor via a long spiral staircase that cuts across the rock and climbs up to the vineyard fifteen metres above. The old dovecote, now converted into a summer kitchen, features a remarkable exterior stone staircase that leads to a bedroom. Around a French-style flowerbed, the sober and classic 18th century façade of the vast tufa stone house adjoins the orangeries built into the rock that open onto the garden. It is easy to lose your bearings. The house itself contributes to this joyous confusion by rolling out a series of lounges around a secret patio which can be accessed via a glass conservatory or the large kitchen/dining room. A monumental stone staircase leads to a terrace where two houses carved into the rock during the 18th century have been transformed into suites. A second flight of stone steps leads to a hanging fruit garden, a vegetable garden and a cave that houses a fermenting room. Past the remains of an old wrought iron greenhouse, a mysterious gate built into the wall opens onto a small wood on top of the orangeries that leads to the vineyard.
The Clos du Gaimont, and its closerie, have existed since the 15th century. The wine produced here has always been one of Vouvray's premier grands crus. In 1784, the estate became the property of Count Charles Isambart of Medina who received a gratuity of 1000 pounds out of the Royal Treasury from Louis XVI "in consideration of his services rendered" during the American War of Independence. An original member of the Société des Cincinnati de France and promoted to vice-admiral under the Restoration in 1814, he was made Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saint Louis and Peer of France. On his death in 1819, Le Gaimont passed into the hands of his son, Charles Édouard Isambert, and then to his grandson Count Henri Louis Albert in 1848, who decided to settle here and make many changes. Henri Louis Albert de Médine is an illustrious figure who was buried in Vouvray. He became known for having painted L'assassinat du Duc de Guise (The Murder of the Duke of Guise), exhibited in Blois, in 1857. When he died in 1899, he passed Le Gaimont on to his granddaughter, Marie de Metz, whose family kept it for nearly a century. The estate was then bought, dismembered and abandoned in the 1990's. Since buying the property in 2017, we have been working as a family to bring it back to life and reopen it to the world.
Le Gaimont is an estate characterised by simple, authentic and rustic refinement. It is perfect for lovers of beautiful stones, contemporary art, gardens, the pleasures of life, gastronomy, good wines and great encounters. The estate allows us to welcome our guests as friends, in a relaxing and privileged setting, all the while providing them with private spaces in order to preserve their tranquillity and a sense of exclusivity. We serve homemade breakfasts and dinners made with fresh, local, and seasonal products. We make sure to showcase the work of food artisans and winegrowers who are passionate about our region. We advise our guests and help them to organise their activities. They have access to a summer kitchen and a relaxation room with a selection of board games, books and DVDs. The swimming pool is heated in season and a gate opening onto our small wood invites guests to take a stroll around the vineyards.
Le Gaimont is a great base for discovering the endless treasures of the Loire Valley region. The chateaus of Brézé and Gizeux or the village of Chédigny are places we encourage guests to visit. The International Garden Festival at the Domaine de Chaumont, the Tomato Festival organised by the Prince Jardinier at the Château de la Bourdaisière, and the Jazz en Touraine festival in Montlouis-sur-Loire are not to be missed. Vouvray is home to talented craftsmen, food shops and small producers: La Maison Hardouin, butcher and caterer; Rivero, an excellent baker/pastry chef/chef/chocolatier; Le Jardin Vouvrillon, a delicatessen and wine merchant; and the covered food market on Friday mornings. Discover the Chenin Blanc, a favourite of ours, with the winemakers of Vouvray: the Domaine Nicolas Brunet, La Maison Huet, Philippe Foreau, Aubert, Vincent Carême, Mathieu Cosme and Jacky Blot in Montlouis-sur-Loire. Some good restaurants are also worth a visit: the Gueules Noires à la cave Martin, the Hautes Roches and the Part Belle in Rochecorbon.
The estate is completely enclosed by high stone walls and can accommodate twenty guests in the greatest comfort. An 18th century mansion with a surface area of ??400 m² houses a large central patio with an outdoor lounge. The ground floor consists of three lounges (with games and a home cinema), an adjoining dining room overlooking the gardens to the south, a large kitchen/dining room opening onto the patio, an office, a laundry room, guest toilets, two single-storey junior suites with private bathrooms, and a conservatory that opens onto the patio. On the first floor, there are four bedrooms divided into two large suites with private bathrooms. An independent turret, served by an external staircase, offers a double bedroom with a private bathroom on the first floor, and a secondary kitchen serving the display cellars, the swimming pool and the orangery on the ground floor. A flight of stone stairs leads to a terraced garden overlooking the estate and two independent junior suites carved into the rock in the 19th century. Each has a private bathroom and underfloor heating. A 40m² orangery under a rock vault opens onto the garden. It features a bar and can accommodate twenty guests. Large reception areas of 300m² under a rock vault in the former display cellars offer an ideal setting for receptions, seminars, filming and acoustic recordings. They can be rented in addition to the rest of the estate. A car park in front of the formal gate has five private spaces, including two guest spaces shared with neighbours. A terraced fruit garden and a small wood lead to the vineyard on the plateau.
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On an upper terrace of the estate, accessed by a flight of stone stairs, are two independent junior suites built into the rock. The suite to the left is equipped with a queen size bed (or two single beds) and has an open-plan bathroom with a huge bath and a separate toilet. The suite to the right has a king size bed, a sofa that can be converted into two bed bases, a bar/kitchenette area, and an open-plan bathroom with a walk-in shower, bath and toilet. Equipped with underfloor heating, the two suites are joined by a garden and come with a kitchen that allows for an entirely autonomous stay at Gaimont. Guests have access to the shared swimming pool on the estate.
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The rooms and suites of the estate are equipped with king size or queen size beds and all have their own bathrooms with baths and/or showers and private toilets. On the ground floor of the mansion is a large bedroom with a view of the garden and a double bed. On the first floor is a suite comprising a master bedroom with a double bed and a bedroom with two single beds, as well as a second suite consisting of a master bedroom with a double bed (or two single beds), a library lounge with a double sofa bed, a bathroom with a shower and toilet, and a dressing room. In the outbuildings, the first floor of a turret is home to a double bedroom which overlooks the gardens and is served by an external staircase. On an upper terrace of the estate, two junior suites built into the rock are equipped with underfloor heating. The one to the left is equipped with a double bed and the one to the right, in addition to a double bed, has a sofa that can be converted into two bed bases and a bar/kitchenette. Breakfasts are served in the gardens, in the orangery, or in the lounges, according to the season. The house has private parking with five spaces.
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