Well-Lived: Axel Vervoordt's Chateau de Tertre

On the brow of the highest hill in the Margaux wine country northwest of Bordeaux, the Château du Tertre stands as a symbol of eighteenth-century perfection. Two symmetrical wings flank a central building in a symphony of pale yellow stone. On one side of the house, a swimming pool masquerades as an ornamental bassin, screened off by a bank of trees and accompanied by an exquisite orangerie. From the front courtyard, the view descends to a graceful ironwork gate and sweep of verdant vineyard.

But when Dutch businessman Eric Albada-Jelgersma—a Francophile, art lover, and wine connoisseur—bought the estate, it was for the exceptional vineyard, a fifth-growth Margaux appellation of the 1855 Bordeaux classification.

Axel Vervoordt remembers the state of the house at the time. "The château was a ruin. It was used almost as a stable by the farmer, who had his animals living in it," explains its savior, the legendary Antwerp antiquaire and designer. "There were no floors, no doors, no fireplaces, nothing, nothing, nothing. We started from scratch."

There is nothing Vervoordt does better than conjure a phoenix from its ashes. The château was built in the early eighteenth century by its Irish owner. Following those plans, Vervoordt and Bordeaux architect Christophe Massie rebuilt a missing wing and a tower.

"Eric is a great collector of paintings, museum-quality art," says Vervoordt. "But this is a wine château in the middle of vineyards. I didn't want it to look as sophisticated as a townhouse. I wanted a mixture of the very baroque, the very rich and great simplicity."

The library reflects Vervoordt's ease with "great things." Walls are painted in "just one coat of a beautiful transparent cobalt blue. The southwest light in the room—the sunset is red—is a good combination with blue." Antique bookcases, an oil by Dutch painter Jan Lievens and a Roman torso of Hercules slide seamlessly into place in this inviting room.

Vervoordt's style is apparent right from the entry hall, where Baroque benches from an Italian palazzo are showstoppers. "My way of working is almost no decor. It's about restoring an architecture to make it look as good as possible with the right floors, beautiful panels and old doors. Then, put great things in it, and choose the right discreet colors."

"I like the mixture of art with comfort," says Vervoordt.

Albada-Jelgersma has brought in his winemaking team. General manager Alexander van Beek says, "2009 is one of the best wines we've ever made."

Throughout, the materials create a mellow ambiance. Floors are of limestone and parquet or planks salvaged from another château, coffered ceilings are painted light eighteenth-century gray, and rooms offer views of superb gardens by Belgian landscape architect Jacques Wirtz.

Like a glass of the velvety Margaux, Vervoordt's interiors only improve with age.