--- title: "Château de la Crée, Santenay: Wine Tasting and Experiences" description: "Cellars of about 1431, from Nicolas Rolin's time, under a manor owned since 2015 by the founders of Domaine Serene. Tastings by booking, by private driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-la-cree lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-la-cree.png --- # Château de la Crée > Château de la Crée: a 19th-century wine manor in Santenay-le-Haut, above cellars from the time of Nicolas Rolin. Château de la Crée is in Santenay (Côte-d'Or), 25 min by road (22 km) from Beaune. Tasting room hours: 1 April to 31 October: every day, 10:00 to 18:30; 1 November to 31 March: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 18:00 · 19th century, on 15th-century cellars · Private driver from Beaune: €95 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Château de la Crée stands in Santenay-le-Haut, the upper part of the village, at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune. The house was rebuilt in the 19th century over vaulted cellars from the 15th. Since 2015 it has belonged to an American wine family, and it welcomes visitors for tastings and wine experiences. ## Key facts - Type: Wine château - Location: 17 km south-west of Beaune · Côte de Beaune - Coordinates: 46.9142, 4.6850 - 25 min from Beaune - Tastings on site, all year - 19th century, on 15th-century cellars - Commune: [Santenay · Côte-d'Or](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/santenay) - Style: 19th-century wine manor - Official website: [la-cree.com](https://www.la-cree.com) - From Beaune: ≈ 25 min · 22 km - €290 for a [half-day wine tour](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/half-day) from Beaune, up to 4 guests ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 25 min by road (22 km), €95 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History In the 15th century the estate was among the lands of Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy, and his wife Guigone de Salins, the founders of the Hospices de Beaune. Wine was already made here, and the vaulted cellars date from around 1431. During the Revolution the château was looted and destroyed, and its lands were broken up. The château was rebuilt in the 19th century as a wine manor. In April 2015 it was bought by Ken and Grace Evenstad, founders of Domaine Serene in Oregon, who had long hoped to make wine in Burgundy. The estate now farms just over 10 hectares, about 7 of Pinot Noir and 3 of Chardonnay, in Santenay, Volnay, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet and other villages. ## Architecture The château is a 19th-century wine manor in the upper village, built after the Revolution on the site of the older house. Its great asset lies below ground: vaulted cellars of the 15th century, used today for ageing and tasting the estate's wines. The setting on the slopes of Santenay-le-Haut looks over the vineyards of the southern Côte de Beaune. ## Opening hours and tickets - Tasting room hours: - 1 April to 31 October: every day, 10:00 to 18:30 - 1 November to 31 March: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 18:00 - Booking: Recommended Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://www.la-cree.com/fr/contact). ## Visiting The Château de la Crée offers visits of the château, its Clos du Château vineyard and its 15th-century vaulted cellars, ending with a tasting of six wines. Other experiences add a private tour of its vineyards in Santenay or along the Côte de Beaune, with pick-up from your hotel in Beaune, and the Beaune tourist office sells picnic and horseback outings in the vines. All visits are booked in advance. Check the official website for booking. ## Did you know? The cellars go back to about 1431, when the estate belonged to Nicolas Rolin, the chancellor who founded the Hospices de Beaune in 1443. ## Around Château de la Crée What to combine with Château de la Crée on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Santenay](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/santenay) (1 km away): Spa town and wine village near the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, known for its reds. - [Maranges](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/maranges) (2 km away): Three villages on the last slopes of the Côte de Beaune, sharing one appellation for bright, fruity reds. - [Bouzeron](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/bouzeron) (4 km away): A tiny village with a unique claim: the only village appellation for Aligoté. ### Châteaux - [Château de Santenay (Domaine du Château Philippe le Hardi)](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-philippe-le-hardi), 1 km away: The Duke of Burgundy's castle at Santenay, now a large wine estate with glazed tile roofs. - [Château de la Maltroye](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-la-maltroye) (4 km away): An 18th-century family wine house at the top of Chassagne, with a diamond-patterned tile roof. - [Château de Mercey](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-mercey) (4 km away): An early 17th-century manor with square towers and a dovecote, above the Maranges vineyards. ### Things to do - [Mont de Sène (Hill of the Three Crosses), Mont de Sène (Montagne des Trois Croix)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/mont-de-sene-trois-croix), 1 km away: A 521-metre summit crowned by three crosses, looking over the vineyards of Santenay and the Maranges. - [Maison Chanzy](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/maison-chanzy-bouzeron) (4 km away): A Bouzeron estate founded in 1928, with the appellation's only monopole and a second cellar in Puligny-Montrachet. - [Domaine Bader-Mimeur](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/domaine-bader-mimeur-chassagne-montrachet) (5 km away): A family estate that has farmed almost all the historic vines of the Château de Chassagne-Montrachet since 1919. ### Restaurants - [Ed.Em](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/ed-em-chassagne-montrachet) (4 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred couple's table in the heart of Montrachet country, with 600 wines to match - [Maison Lameloise](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/maison-lameloise-chagny) (5 km away · 3 MICHELIN stars): Burgundy's only three-star table, in a former coaching inn twenty minutes south of Beaune. - [Auprès du Clocher](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/aupres-du-clocher-pommard) (13 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): Pommard's newly starred table, where the butcher's son cooks beside the church ### Events - **Saturday, 12 December 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Trail de Santenay](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/trail-de-santenay): A December trail race over the hills of Santenay, from 8.5 km to about 26 km. (Sport · Santenay) ## Questions about Château de la Crée ### How far is Château de la Crée from Beaune? Château de la Crée is about 25 min from Beaune by road (22 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €95 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de la Crée? Yes. Château de la Crée is a wine estate that receives visitors for tastings, usually by appointment. We can help you book it as part of a wine tour. ### Can a private driver take us to Château de la Crée? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Half-day wine tour, €290](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/half-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=wine-tour&option=half&place=chateau:cree): Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - - --- Canonical page: