The history of Château les Merles dates back to 1677, when it was owned by the Babut family. Joseph Babut married Marthe Valleton de Carrieux in 1717; the links between the inhabitants of les Merles and those of Valleton were thus established.

But, it wasn't until the early 19th century when Baron Mesclop, one of Napoleon's Generals, had the Château largely rebuilt to the arrangement we see today. Les Merles' classic style matches the order and authority of this General.

Château les Merles shows a neoclassic architecture of perfection and detail all around: the monumental U-shaped stairs, the Ionic and Tuscan columns, all testifying the ancient quality of the Château.


The Greeks came from Asia Minor and brought the vine to France for the first time. However, the Roman civilisation highly contributed to its development.

At the end of the 13th century and during the 14th century, the Bergerac wines were exported by boat to England, Flanders and Brittany. During the 17th century, business with the Northern countries, mainly Holland, started to grow due to the emigration of protestant inhabitants from Bergerac.

Les Merles' vineyard of sixty by sixty hectares of red vines (Merlot noir, Cot rouge, Cabernet, etc) was the most important of the area. Unfortunately, after the good days, the phylloxère disease destroyed Les Merles' vineyard in 1865.

After the Second World War, the Les Merles domain devoted its fields to the agriculture so that its families could be self sufficient.

Fortunately, the Lajonie family bought the Les Merles vineyards in 1991, when the Château and the vineyards separated. Today they produce this very pleasant regional wine that Château les Merles has selected as the house wine for its hotel/restaurant guests and golf members.


The interior of the Château has been faithfully restored by the present owners to match the historic 19th century architecture. Nevertheless, the décor, by a renowned Dutch interior designer: Joris van Grinsven

Jan van Grinsven, after his worldwide voyages on his sailing yacht for seven years, had, together with his children, the idea of settling down and working all together in a pleasant environment. And off he went with his wife to look for his new dream. During one of their trips to the French wine region of Bergerac, they encountered Les Merles whose premises perfectly suited the whole idea …a golf course, a hotel and enough land and premises to develop what today is Château Les Merles.
Les Merles is now a Dutch family-owned business, aiming to delight all its hotel and restaurant guests, golf members and non-members by offering them the whole range of facilities with the best service and the friendliest atmosphere.