· Guide
· 6 min read · Guide
« When is the best time to come? » is the question that comes up most often in our correspondence. The honest answer: it depends entirely on what you are looking for.
March and April: the vineyard wakes, and growers have time
This is the most underrated season. The cellars are quiet, appointments can be made the day before, and you taste the previous vintage just before bottling — something summer never allows.
In the garden, beds of tulips and grape hyacinths flower along the south façade. The days lengthen, but the central heating still earns its keep in the evening. It is also the period with the lowest rates.
For whom: wine lovers who want to be properly received, couples, anyone escaping the crowds.
May and June: the best compromise
The vines grow fast, the slopes turn a clear green, and the evenings stretch to ten o’clock. This is the moment to get the bicycles out: temperatures stay kind on the climbs and the tracks are dry.
The terrace becomes usable for meals again, without the crushing heat of July. The châteaux of Tanlay and Ancy-le-Franc reopen and are not yet busy.
For whom: cyclists, families travelling outside school holidays, anyone who wants to do everything without hurrying.
July and August: life outdoors
High season has its drawbacks — a busy village, restaurants that need booking — and one unbeatable advantage: you live entirely outside. Breakfast in the garden, lunch in the shade of the tall trees at the end of the plot, dinner on the terrace until nightfall.
This is when the enclosed grounds make full sense: children spend their days on the grass while the adults keep only half an eye out. It is the busiest period for the house, and the one to book earliest.
For whom: families, groups, anyone tied to school terms.
September and October: the connoisseurs’ season
Many of our regulars come only now. The harvest mobilises the vineyard, the air smells of crushed grapes, and the low late-afternoon light transforms the slopes. Purple asters flower in front of the house.
One caveat: during the harvest, estates are absorbed by the work. Book appointments well ahead or concentrate on walking. The last weekend of October, however, brings the Chablis wine festival, the liveliest moment of the village’s year.
For whom: wine lovers, photographers, anyone who likes to feel a place at work.
November to February: the house takes over
The village empties, the slopes turn brown, and the house reveals another side. The central heating runs, the billiard room becomes the centre of gravity of the stay, and meals stretch out in the dining room.
This is the season for weekends with friends and family reunions: rates are at their lowest, availability at its best, and Chablis belongs once more to the people who live there.
For whom: groups of friends, family gatherings, anyone who does not need sunshine to be happy.
In short
- Best value: November to March
- Best weather: May, June and September
- Best wine atmosphere: late October, during the wine festival
- Best with children: July and August, for life in the garden
Whichever season you choose, the house is open. Send us your dates and we will tell you what Chablis has to offer then.
Come and see for yourself
The house is open all year. Send us your dates and we will reply quickly.
