Who would’ve thought that, sometimes, something so apparently simple as a grapevine can change the course of a lifetime and turn it into something extraordinary? Naturally, without intervention, single vines don’t grow into the orderly rows so evocative of the postcard vineyard landscapes we all have in mind. They are strong, swirling plants that climb towards the sunlight, and it is us, humans, who train them onto supports to create stunning green architectures.
Over time, older vines become sculptural; their roots reaching deep into the live soil. In part, that’s why vineyards appear so connected to the terroir, to heritage, time, and place. Just like them, Les Sources de Caudalie also started off with something as ‘simple’ as a first vineyard, only to deliberately grow its luxurious footprint home after home across the French wine regions.
“My parents, Florence and Daniel Cathiard, acquired Château Smith Haut Lafitte in 1990, and my sister Mathilde later created Caudalie cosmetics, using grape and grape-seeds for anti-aging properties, with her husband, Bertrand Thomas. The idea of Les Sources de Caudalie was born from this extraordinary environment and from the desire to invite people not only to discover the wine, but to experience the art of living that surrounds it,” says Alice Tourbier, Co-Founder and Owner of the Les Sources Group, as she begins to unravel the brand’s story.
Her and her husband Jérôme initially met while studying at business school in Bordeaux, and it soon became clear that they shared an intense entrepreneurial desire to create something together. The first of their brand’s renowned collection, Les Sources de Caudalie opened in 1999, in the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte.
“At the time, combining a luxury hotel, gastronomy, wine and a Vinothérapie Spa in the middle of a Bordeaux vineyard was quite pioneering. Over the years, we kept developing the property, but the original idea has never really changed: allowing our guests to experience the vineyard from the inside, through wine, gastronomy, wellness, nature and hospitality,” she shares with vivid emotion.
Over time, older vines become sculptural; their roots reaching deep into the live soil. In part, that’s why vineyards appear so connected to the terroir, to heritage, time, and place. Just like them, Les Sources de Caudalie also started off with something as ‘simple’ as a first vineyard, only to deliberately grow its luxurious footprint home after home across the French wine regions.
“My parents, Florence and Daniel Cathiard, acquired Château Smith Haut Lafitte in 1990, and my sister Mathilde later created Caudalie cosmetics, using grape and grape-seeds for anti-aging properties, with her husband, Bertrand Thomas. The idea of Les Sources de Caudalie was born from this extraordinary environment and from the desire to invite people not only to discover the wine, but to experience the art of living that surrounds it,” says Alice Tourbier, Co-Founder and Owner of the Les Sources Group, as she begins to unravel the brand’s story.
Her and her husband Jérôme initially met while studying at business school in Bordeaux, and it soon became clear that they shared an intense entrepreneurial desire to create something together. The first of their brand’s renowned collection, Les Sources de Caudalie opened in 1999, in the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte.
“At the time, combining a luxury hotel, gastronomy, wine and a Vinothérapie Spa in the middle of a Bordeaux vineyard was quite pioneering. Over the years, we kept developing the property, but the original idea has never really changed: allowing our guests to experience the vineyard from the inside, through wine, gastronomy, wellness, nature and hospitality,” she shares with vivid emotion.
Alice and Jérôme Tourbier
Just as vines can quite literally be an ever evolving expression of the landscape and its memories, Les Sources is very much a story of people, with their roots delicately entwined.
“Jérôme and I have been partners in life and in business for more than twenty-five years, and we have naturally developed complementary roles,” she continues. While Jérôme is particularly involved in the teams, human resources, operations and restaurants, Alice focuses more on communications, decoration, guest experience and the identity of their properties. However, she quickly adds that the extreme success of Les Sources goes far beyond the two of them: “It is the result of the work of our chefs - especially Nicolas Masse, who joined us in 2009 -, sommeliers, spa therapists, gardeners, reception and housekeeping teams, and all the people who bring these houses to life every day”.
“Jérôme and I have been partners in life and in business for more than twenty-five years, and we have naturally developed complementary roles,” she continues. While Jérôme is particularly involved in the teams, human resources, operations and restaurants, Alice focuses more on communications, decoration, guest experience and the identity of their properties. However, she quickly adds that the extreme success of Les Sources goes far beyond the two of them: “It is the result of the work of our chefs - especially Nicolas Masse, who joined us in 2009 -, sommeliers, spa therapists, gardeners, reception and housekeeping teams, and all the people who bring these houses to life every day”.
The firm began its perennial story with Les Sources de Caudalie, where Alice has a particular fondness for the vegetable garden and long walks through the property and vineyards. Today, however, the standalone property has grown into the flagship of an exciting collection of luxury properties and spas centred around their ‘vineyard joie de vivre’ in France.
“For many years, we thought Les Sources de Caudalie was unique because of its location. Then we understood that what we had created could have meaning in other French wine regions, provided we never simply copied it,” says Alice.
“For many years, we thought Les Sources de Caudalie was unique because of its location. Then we understood that what we had created could have meaning in other French wine regions, provided we never simply copied it,” says Alice.
Les Sources de Caudalie
Unveiling Les Sources de Cheverny, another of their most recent properties, was a paramount step for them. As she explains, it opened in 2020 in the Loire Valley and proved that the spirit of Les Sources could indeed travel to another wine region while developing its own personality in the middle of a historical French castle.
The estate brings together the château, old farm buildings transformed into rooms, along with houses and cabins, so there is a wonderful, peaceful feeling of space and green countryside deeply connected to the Loire châteaux and forests of Sologne.
“A day might begin with breakfast overlooking nature, followed by a bicycle ride through the surrounding landscape or vineyards. You could visit one of the Loire châteaux, spend the afternoon at the Spa Caudalie and finish the day with dinner and a tasting with our sommelier. Wine is very much alive there. We replanted Romorantin, the historic grape variety of the Cour-Cheverny appellation, and produce our own cuvée, La Grand'Vigne, together with local winemakers Philippe and Simon Tessier,” she says.
The estate brings together the château, old farm buildings transformed into rooms, along with houses and cabins, so there is a wonderful, peaceful feeling of space and green countryside deeply connected to the Loire châteaux and forests of Sologne.
“A day might begin with breakfast overlooking nature, followed by a bicycle ride through the surrounding landscape or vineyards. You could visit one of the Loire châteaux, spend the afternoon at the Spa Caudalie and finish the day with dinner and a tasting with our sommelier. Wine is very much alive there. We replanted Romorantin, the historic grape variety of the Cour-Cheverny appellation, and produce our own cuvée, La Grand'Vigne, together with local winemakers Philippe and Simon Tessier,” she says.
Les Sources de Cheverny
Today, together with Les Sources de Vougeot in Burgundy, the collection has entered a new chapter in yet another prestigious wine region. However, she asserts: “We don't want to create identical hotels. We want to create a collection of houses rooted in the great wine regions of France, where guests recognise our hospitality while discovering a completely different destination each time”.
In fact, one of the very pleasures of creating a collection for both her and Jérôme is encouraging guests to travel from one wine region to another: “Someone who discovers us first in Bordeaux can then experience the Loire, Burgundy and soon Alsace. The hotels become gateways into very different French terroirs. We want people to recognise Les Sources through the hospitality, attention to detail and relationship with wine and wellness, while still being surprised every time”.
In fact, one of the very pleasures of creating a collection for both her and Jérôme is encouraging guests to travel from one wine region to another: “Someone who discovers us first in Bordeaux can then experience the Loire, Burgundy and soon Alsace. The hotels become gateways into very different French terroirs. We want people to recognise Les Sources through the hospitality, attention to detail and relationship with wine and wellness, while still being surprised every time”.
Les Sources de Vougeot
Les Sources de Vougeot has become their latest addition, and one that has unfolded as a particularly emotional endeavour for the couple: “It is a region we had known and dreamed about for a very long time. It opened in February 2026 at Château de Gilly, in Gilly-lès-Cîteaux, on Burgundy's Route des Grands Crus and very close to the legendary Clos de Vougeot. The château is an extraordinary former residence of the Abbots of Cîteaux, with origins going back many centuries. There are moats, vaulted rooms, historic stonework, gardens and an old mill beside the Vouge. The building itself tells a story”.
Les Sources de Vougeot
Each one of Les Sources’ homes has its own story to tell, though. Every single one reads like a delicious tome of a trilogy we need never to cease. Unraveling its origins, Les Sources de Caudalie is where everything began: their family story, Bordeaux, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, the birth of Vinothérapie and the original expression of Les Sources.
Les Sources de Cheverny, in turn, cultivates an essence centred a little more around nature, says Alice, for it has a wonderful feeling of freedom and space surrounded by forests, vineyards and the landscapes of the Loire Valley. “It feels like a family country estate where you immediately slow down,” she describes. Lastly, if she had to pick a word, Les Sources de Vougeot breathes ‘Heritage’ to her: “The historical power of the place is extraordinary. You are in a former residence of the Abbots of Cîteaux, in the heart of Burgundy and surrounded by some of the most celebrated vineyards in the world. These are three very different personalities, but one family”.
They are one and a whole, and cannot be separated. Just like Alice would find it almost impossible to pick one favourite wine alone! At Cheverny, the Romorantin cuvée La Grand'Vigne has a special meaning because they brought those vines back to the estate. In Bordeaux, Château Smith Haut Lafitte will of course always have a very personal and family significance for her. And Burgundy has opened an entirely new chapter of discovery.
Les Sources de Cheverny, in turn, cultivates an essence centred a little more around nature, says Alice, for it has a wonderful feeling of freedom and space surrounded by forests, vineyards and the landscapes of the Loire Valley. “It feels like a family country estate where you immediately slow down,” she describes. Lastly, if she had to pick a word, Les Sources de Vougeot breathes ‘Heritage’ to her: “The historical power of the place is extraordinary. You are in a former residence of the Abbots of Cîteaux, in the heart of Burgundy and surrounded by some of the most celebrated vineyards in the world. These are three very different personalities, but one family”.
They are one and a whole, and cannot be separated. Just like Alice would find it almost impossible to pick one favourite wine alone! At Cheverny, the Romorantin cuvée La Grand'Vigne has a special meaning because they brought those vines back to the estate. In Bordeaux, Château Smith Haut Lafitte will of course always have a very personal and family significance for her. And Burgundy has opened an entirely new chapter of discovery.
Les Sources de Caudalie
Les Sources de Cheverny
Les Sources de Cheverny, Bedroom
After unifying all ‘personas’ and homes under one umbrella - Les Sources -, the brand successfully harvests all its properties with a same DNA. Alice describes it as their own interpretation of the French art and way of living, experienced in and through the heart of the vineyards. “There are several elements that connect our houses: an exceptional wine region, a property with history and soul, nature, gastronomy, wellness and a strong connection to the local terroir. But perhaps the most important part is the feeling of being in a home rather than in an institution. Luxury today is not about formality for us. It is about generosity, authenticity and attention. Each hotel has its own identity, shaped by its architecture, landscape and history, while sharing the same commitment to sustainable tourism, well-being, gastronomy, wine and warm, sincere hospitality,” she says.
Wine tourism is embedded into the essence of Les Sources and all its properties, but so is wellness, a concept that flourishes through their Caudalie Spas, where Alice loves to enjoy facials and the heavenly treatments of the beauticians. For them, however, wine and wellness tourism have never really been separate subjects. The common thread is the vineyard, and if we tug with a little love and care, you can experience it through a glass of wine or a visit to an estate, but also through the landscape, the cuisine, the seasons and the spa.
“At Les Sources de Caudalie, this relationship was there from the very beginning. Caudalie was founded by my sister Mathilde around the antioxidant properties of grape-seed polyphenols, and the Vinothérapie Spa allowed us to translate the vineyard into a completely different sensory experience. That philosophy now exists throughout Les Sources. You might spend the morning cycling through vineyards, discover a local wine with our sommelier and then have a Caudalie treatment using ingredients derived from grapes and vines. I love that continuity. Wine tourism isn't simply about drinking wine. It is about understanding a landscape, a culture, craftsmanship and a way of life,” Alice insists.
Wine tourism is embedded into the essence of Les Sources and all its properties, but so is wellness, a concept that flourishes through their Caudalie Spas, where Alice loves to enjoy facials and the heavenly treatments of the beauticians. For them, however, wine and wellness tourism have never really been separate subjects. The common thread is the vineyard, and if we tug with a little love and care, you can experience it through a glass of wine or a visit to an estate, but also through the landscape, the cuisine, the seasons and the spa.
“At Les Sources de Caudalie, this relationship was there from the very beginning. Caudalie was founded by my sister Mathilde around the antioxidant properties of grape-seed polyphenols, and the Vinothérapie Spa allowed us to translate the vineyard into a completely different sensory experience. That philosophy now exists throughout Les Sources. You might spend the morning cycling through vineyards, discover a local wine with our sommelier and then have a Caudalie treatment using ingredients derived from grapes and vines. I love that continuity. Wine tourism isn't simply about drinking wine. It is about understanding a landscape, a culture, craftsmanship and a way of life,” Alice insists.
Caudalie Spa
Similarly to how nature and seasons work, their brand’s personal journey is also cyclical and continuously evolving, ripening. While already looking towards what’s to come, Alice kindly and exclusively hints at their new projects and properties in the pipeline: “Our next destination is Alsace, and I am very excited to present it as it is an exceptional project. We acquired Château d'Isenbourg in Rouffach, near Colmar, another extraordinary historic property overlooking the vineyards. The estate has its own vineyard and offers exactly what we look for: history, wine, landscape and a strong regional identity. Jérôme and I went biking throughout Alsace this summer and I was astonished by the beauty of the villages around and the kindness of the locals”.
They often describe themselves as entrepreneurs of the French art of living, and truthfully, that expression quite captures what they’re trying to preserve and share. “France has an extraordinary heritage: its vineyards, gastronomy, historic buildings, craftsmanship and landscapes. Hospitality can bring all these elements together and give them new life. With Les Sources, our ambition is not simply to create beautiful hotels. It is to create destinations that belong to their regions and make guests want to return places where luxury feels natural, generous and alive,” they say.
What still excites the duo is creating places and then seeing people make them their own memories. As Alice states: “Opening a hotel is an incredibly long process. There are years of plans, restoration work, decoration, recruitment and thousands of decisions. Then one day the doors open, the first guests arrive and suddenly the place has a life of its own. That is probably the greatest reward”.
In a most beautiful way, Les Sources is a loving family project that’s organically awakening new hospitality gems - individual grapevines decidedly growing into their own vineyard.
www.sources-hotels.com
Les Sources de Caudalie
Les Sources de Cheverny
Les Sources de Vougeot
More on - Alice Tourbier & Jérôme Tourbier
They often describe themselves as entrepreneurs of the French art of living, and truthfully, that expression quite captures what they’re trying to preserve and share. “France has an extraordinary heritage: its vineyards, gastronomy, historic buildings, craftsmanship and landscapes. Hospitality can bring all these elements together and give them new life. With Les Sources, our ambition is not simply to create beautiful hotels. It is to create destinations that belong to their regions and make guests want to return places where luxury feels natural, generous and alive,” they say.
What still excites the duo is creating places and then seeing people make them their own memories. As Alice states: “Opening a hotel is an incredibly long process. There are years of plans, restoration work, decoration, recruitment and thousands of decisions. Then one day the doors open, the first guests arrive and suddenly the place has a life of its own. That is probably the greatest reward”.
In a most beautiful way, Les Sources is a loving family project that’s organically awakening new hospitality gems - individual grapevines decidedly growing into their own vineyard.
www.sources-hotels.com
Les Sources de Caudalie
Les Sources de Cheverny
Les Sources de Vougeot
More on - Alice Tourbier & Jérôme Tourbier
Zoila Checa
