Find out which châteaux to visit to see the oldest cellars, the finest architecture and the most beautiful parklands and gardens to visit….and the best wines (all mentioned!)
The most beautiful view over the vineyards (from their 16th century tower soon to be replaced with a modern version): Château Gruaud Larose
The most beautiful view of the Gironde Estuary (from its terrace firstly the best view of Latour with the river background): Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
The oldest bottles (in the family reserves dating back to 1815): Château Gruaud Larose
The most cathedral-like underground cellar: Château Lafite
The most high tech: Château Montrose
The most beautiful vats (tulip shaped concrete): Château Prieuré Lichine
The most historic winery (the old cellar and vatroom has been left intact to see how it used to be done):
Château Lynch Bages
The most biodynamic visit (explanation and see the Breton horses at work at close hand): Château Pontet Canet
The most oak barrel focussed (barrels made on-site): Château Haut Brion and Château Smith Haut Lafitte
The most beautiful English gardens (just glimpsed through the gateways): Château Leoville-Barton
The most spread-out (vatrooms and cellars lie on the other side of the busy D2 road): Château Leoville-Poyferré
The most yellow: Château Lafon Rochet
The longest wine tour (2 and half hours including the wine and art museum): Château Mouton Rothschild
The most agronomically detailed tour: Château Palmer
The most open: Château Fonplegade, St Emilion (each day of the year) and Château Lanessan, Haut Medoc
The most historic castle-like Château: Château Olivier (Pessac Léognan) with moat, Château d’Arsac (Haut Medoc), Château d’Issan (Margaux) with moat
The most beautiful new oak barrel cellar and vat room: Château Figeac
The most to see and taste( in the beautiful 16th century château taste dry white Graves, red Graves, and the rare sweet Cérons wines): Château de Cérons
The most classy: Château Haut Bailly
The best view over the vineyards in St Emilion: Château de Pressac
The most beautiful place to relax in nature (15 hectares of parkland with old rare trees some up to 500 years old): Château Siaurac
The best underground tunnel cellars(5 metres under the vineyards stocked with 50,000 bottles old vintages kept in the perfect conditions): Château Beausejour-Bécot
The most marble: Château Pavie, St Emilion
The most musical (the famous bells play 200 national anthems): Château Angelus
The best food (own restaurant Les Belles Perdrix): Château Troplong Mondot
The most personal visit (including inside the château and the owner’s private art collection): Château Siaurac
The most entertaining (magic tricks by owner): Château Laniote, St Emilion
The most ‘on its way up’ (normally to be a new Premier Grand Cru Classé A in the next reclassification): Château Figeac
The most pink: Château Troplong Mondot
The best most refined ‘picnic’: Château Siaurac
The most natural (chemical products have never been used on the soil here in its history): Château Coutet, St Emilion
The best dog: Domaine de Chevalier
SIP WINE BLOG - Bordeaux plus 
Hi Nicolle, for the uninitiated, Bordeaux wines and its myriad classifications is a minefield of indecision! I have tried to read quite extensively to prepare for an upcoming visit to Bordeaux and this blog – more than any other – assisted me in deciding on some chateau to visit.
Thank you very much!
Kind regards,
Johan
Thanks Johan. I am a private guide but believe in sharing information as you can see. Dont hesitate if you have any particular questions, I am very happy to help. What time of year are you coming? Have a lovely time, Nicolle PS I have a newsletter which I send out 3 times a year if you would like to be added