.png)
Château Méaume Classic Car Rally
Since 2022, Mark and Sandra Johnson-Hill have hosted the only Bordeaux classic car rally based at a working wine estate. This invitation-only experience fuses automotive heritage with wine terroir discovery.
Collectors bring cherished automobiles to drive routes connecting Pomerol to Margaux, Saint-Émilion to Sauternes. Evenings conclude with estate wines and conversations among enthusiasts. Rally winners receive unique recognition: their classic car immortalised on limited-edition wine labels.
The Only Bordeaux Château Classic Car Rally
Château Méaume hosts the only classic car rally based at a Bordeaux wine-producing château. Verifiable fact, not marketing.
Mark and Sandra understand these passions share common ground: craftsmanship, heritage, provenance, design. As proprietors of our 250-acre estate, they host personally. You will meet winemaker Bruno, explore working vineyards, and experience authentic château life.
Large rallies with 50+ participants and commercial tour operators serve different purposes. We offer genuine hospitality at a family-owned estate where your passion is shared, not merely accommodated. Since 2022, we have refined intimate groups, flexible schedules, routes for driving pleasure, and wine education that enriches.
Fusion of Two Passions: Automotive Heritage Meets Fine Wine
A 1960s Jaguar E-Type evokes similar appreciation to a 1961 Château Pétrus. Both represent design philosophy, engineering mastery, and cultural moment.
Our rally routes educate as you drive. Through Pomerol, learn why this Right Bank appellation commands classified growth prices. Along the Route des Châteaux through Margaux, discover how 1855 classification shapes Bordeaux hierarchy.
Wine's journey from vine to bottle parallels classic car restoration: sourcing period-correct components, preserving original intent, ongoing stewardship. Both demand patience, expertise, and passion. Our winemaker Bruno engages knowledgeable enthusiasts who understand complexity.
Why Bordeaux is Perfect for Classic Car Rallies
Bordeaux offers what classic cars demand: flowing roads, minimal traffic, excellent pavement, and maritime climate rarely threatening mechanical reliability.
Wine geography creates natural destinations. Pomerol to Saint-Émilion covers 15 kilometres across two appellations. The Médoc's Route des Châteaux extends 80+ kilometres through Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, and Saint-Estèphe.
Classic automobiles benefit from moderate daily distances (100-150 kilometres) on enjoyable roads. Bordeaux's compact geography accommodates this perfectly. Atlantic-moderated weather provides reliable conditions April through October.
2022 Rally: Right Bank Classics (Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, Fronsac)
Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, Fronsac. Departed toward Pomerol's 800-hectare appellation producing Bordeaux's most concentrated Merlot-dominant wines. Continued to UNESCO World Heritage Saint-Émilion, where vintage automobiles meet 8th-century limestone architecture. Afternoon: Fronsac's hillside terraces overlooking the Dordogne.
2023 Rally: Left Bank 1855 Classification (Médoc, Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe)
Year two expanded to a two-day Left Bank exploration, traversing the Médoc's classified growth châteaux. This route represents Bordeaux wine aristocracy: the 1855 classification commissioned by Napoleon III, still governing Médoc hierarchy 170 years later.
Departing Château Méaume westward, participants crossed the Gironde estuary via ferry, with classic cars queuing aboard. The Médoc's Route des Châteaux (D2) extends from Margaux north through Saint-Julien, Pauillac, and Saint-Estèphe, passing châteaux whose names appear on the world's finest wine lists.
In Pauillac, we arranged private access to a classified estate's historic barrel cellars housing wines aging for decades, creating parallel with collectors' long-term stewardship of classic automobiles. Both represent commitments extending across generations.
Gastronomy featured regional specialties paired with wines from the appellations we explored, demonstrating terroir's extension beyond vineyards.
This Left Bank route showcased Bordeaux's most recognisable appellations whilst educating about classification systems, château histories, and Cabernet Sauvignon's dominance in these gravelly soils.
2024 Rally: Hidden Gems (Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes, Barsac, Entre-Deux-Mers)
Our third rally emphasised discovery. Whilst Pomerol and Médoc attract international attention, Bordeaux's southern sectors offer exceptional wines and scenery with fewer crowds, appealing to collectors who prize insider knowledge over popular destinations.
Pessac-Léognan, immediately south of Bordeaux city, hosts Château Haut-Brion, the only non-Médoc estate included in 1855's First Growth classification. The route continued to Sauternes and Barsac, where humid conditions create noble rot, concentrating sugars into the world's finest sweet wines. This introduced wine styles beyond dry reds, expanding participants' Bordeaux understanding. The Sauternais countryside offers particular beauty: Château d'Yquem crowning its hilltop, morning mists rolling through valleys, autumn colours enriching vineyard rows.
Entre-Deux-Mers provided relaxed afternoon driving through pastoral landscapes where wine production maintains regional traditions without international prestige's pressure. Collectors appreciated the authenticity.
This "hidden gems" approach demonstrated that Bordeaux rewards exploration beyond famous names, much as collectors recognise that automotive excellence exists beyond mainstream marques.
Exclusive Prize: Your Classic Car Immortalised on Our Wine Label
Rally winners see their vehicle featured on our wine labels for the following vintage. Not a generic label: a bespoke design featuring your car.
We produce 300 bottles (50 cases). Each participant receives one case regardless of placement. Remaining allocation unavailable for retail. You cannot buy these bottles.
The wine: Château Méaume's Bordeaux Supérieur earning 89-91 points from The Wine Advocate.
The Château Méaume Rally Experience: Invitation-Only Excellence
Our rally format reflects what collectors consistently seek: intimacy over scale, flexibility over rigid schedules, genuine hospitality over corporate event management.
Participation is invitation-only. We don't sell tickets or process online bookings. Mark and Sandra personally invite individuals whose classic car passion, wine appreciation, and values align with Château Méaume's community. This ensures compatibility and fosters genuine camaraderie.
Group size remains deliberately small at 10-15 vehicles, allowing participants to know one another, share meals collectively, and develop lasting relationships. Many stay connected through marque clubs, reunite at automotive events, or return to Château Méaume. We're cultivating community, not organising transactions.
The rally unfolds over 2-3 days with daily distances averaging 100-150 kilometres. We don't impose competitive timing. Each day combines scenic drives with wine education: morning departures, lunch at restaurants showcasing regional gastronomy, afternoon tastings at classified châteaux (arranged privately, not public tours), and evenings at Château Méaume for dinner and conversation.
Bruno participates throughout wine portions, explaining Bordeaux winemaking to knowledgeable enthusiasts rather than beginners. Mark and Sandra host personally. You'll dine with proprietors, hear stories about Alan's pioneering viticulture, and access barrel cellars when questions arise.
Our 8-room luxury gîte offers convenient on-site accommodation. Wake on the estate, walk vineyard rows before breakfast, retire without distant hotel transit. Several participants extend their stays, maximising their Château Méaume immersion.
This complete integration of château, wine, cars, hospitality, and community exists nowhere else in Bordeaux.
Join Our Exclusive Rally: Request Your Invitation
Château Méaume's Rallye d'Automobiles Classiques welcomes participants who share our values: respect for automotive heritage, genuine interest in wine terroir, and desire for authentic experiences.
If you own a classic automobile you enjoy driving and Bordeaux wine regions genuinely interest you, we'd welcome your expression of interest.
Contact us sharing which car(s) you'd bring, your wine background, and what attracts you to our rally. We're interested in fit, not credentials. Rally dates are announced 6-8 months in advance.
When 12 people share meals and drive together for multiple days, personal alignment matters. We seek people who respect classic automobiles, appreciate fine wine, and contribute positive energy. Specific marques or collection size matter less than enthusiasm and character. We've welcomed modest 1970s sports cars alongside six-figure classics.
Pricing reflects the complete experience: routes through prestigious appellations, tastings at classified châteaux, regional gastronomy, exclusive wine allocation, and proprietor-hosted hospitality.
We welcome visits outside rally dates. Stay at our gîte, meet Mark, Sandra, and Bruno, and understand what makes us unique. Many participants first visited casually before joining a rally.
Begin by reaching out. We'll respond personally and determine together whether our rally aligns with what you're seeking.
Château Méaume offers the only classic car rally based at a Bordeaux wine-producing château.
We look forward to potentially welcoming you.