It’s a bit of a shlep from Paris but well worth it! We grabbed a late Sunday morning TGV from the Gare Montparnasse to Bordeaux and then a local train to Bergerac where we were met by our Paris friends, Eric and Diane Anthonissen, for a quick ride to the 18th century Chateau Ladausse in Monflanquin, their new home.
It’s a bit of a shlep from Paris but well worth it! We grabbed a late Sunday morning TGV from the Gare Montparnasse to Bordeaux and then a local train to Bergerac where we were met by our Paris friends, Eric and Diane Anthonissen, for a quick ride to the 18th century Chateau Ladausse in Monflanquin, their new home.
Their dream of a B & B with cooking classes is not to be confused with one of those “charming,” little, mom and pop operations you may have frequented in the past-their dream is huge. Situated on 12 acres of woods and prairies, it boasts fruit trees that produce 12 kilos of fruit, a potager< that Eric planted that produces tomatoes, zucchini, radishes and lettuce that find their way into Diane’s meals and a swimming pool, anchored by pigonniers that function as changing rooms, that will be soon be the scene of festive barbecues. In the center of a vast park-you don’t need to leave the property to get in a solid constitutional, stands a 450 year old if tree and outside the kitchen window and the herb garden looms a giant 350 year old oak tree.
Eric and Diane are working at warp speed to apply the final touches to make the Chateau Ladausse a prime destination and entry point to Le Périgord so they have served private dinners for as many as 20 guest and are taking reservations for lodging and cooking classes where Diane will show off her Ferrandi-trained talents and Eric will perform sommelier duties.
We were led to the St. Charles suite, one of the two that are currently available. Large, with a bathroom equal to many Paris apartments, large windows and appropriate linens and accoutrements it was the perfect place to rest after a long day and a fabulous dinner.
When Diane and Eric were in Paris we often collaborated on marvelous private events served at her Haussmannian apartment where she was handicapped by a tiny kitchen but here the shackles were off. We hung out in the chateau-sized kitchen and sipped a sparkling chardonnay, Monluc Brut 2010 and nibbled on amuses-bouches:
Cromesquis de parmesan (panko-crusted fried parmesan balls)
Verrine saumon fumé (maison), avocat, tomates
Canapés with rillettes d’oie, and caviar d’aubergine fumé
while Diane prepared a meal to be served in the grand dining room that recalls Errol Flynn as Robin Hood.
Our entrée was Gazpacho de pastèque et basilic, tartare de tomate accompanied by pain de campagne from Franck, an unpretentious local boulanger
The main course was a perfect partner for the chateau: Ballotine de pintade farci aux duxelles de champignons
Artichauts poivrade à l’ail et citron
As a special treat Diane prepared hand-cut Frites maison de pommes de terre nouvelles du jardin
Sauce beurre blanc
Red wine, Domaine de Rhodes Hautes “Laborio” Agenais (local producer), 2010
Dessert
Coulis de fraise; salade d’abricot, cerises, framboise; sorbet d’abricot; sablés breton
Digestif: locally made (the neighbor who helped Eric till the soil for the potager and has lived next door for 65 years (“artisanal”) eau de vie de prune
Before leaving the next morning we had time for a breakfast of café crème, vienoiseries< from Franck, apricots form the orchard and Diane’s homemade confitures.
The chateau is a lovely retreat for a family, group of friends or businesses looking for a relaxing environment for seminars.
If you and a small group of up to 6 would like to join me for a stay at the Chateau and tour of the region please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a custom tailored taste of paradise.
Chateau Ladausse • Lieu-dit Ladausse • 47150 Monflanquin
05 53 36 71 63 • 06 82 71 70 10
And be sure to tell Diane and Eric that you are a friend of Terrance
Currently, my wife and I are visiting Chateau Ladausse in Monflanquin and loving very moment of the region and enjoying our hosts, Diane and Erik Anthonissen. It was your newsletter and your upcoming visit to the region that provided me with the name of Chateau Ladausse.
What a find.
Thanks, Michael Diamant
In a recent newsletter of Terrance’s, he mentioned a group he was putting tougher to visit some friends that purchased a Chateau in Southwest France, “Chateau Ladausse” near the beautiful ancient fortified city of Monflanquin.
Our home in Southwest France is 25 minutes from Monflanquin, so we reached out to the new owners of this lovely completely renovated small hotel and restaurant, Diane & Eric Athoniessen at their Chateau Ladausse
To have such interesting people so close by was intriguing and after a few conversations and emails, we went to the lovely Chateau to meet Diane and Eric. A most charming couple! Diane was a private chef for several years traveling ‘round the world. She then opened a cooking school in Paris which was quite well known and respected. After tiring of Parisian life, they bought and started restoring the magnificent property. They offer 5 spacious suites one with 2 bedrooms. All have the most modern ensuite bathrooms and are airconditioned ( a rarity for Chambres D Hotes ) and serve magnificent meals and wines. They call this type of B&B in France a “Chambres D'Hotes” and the dining part a “TableD’Hotes”.
You may reserve a dining spot at the single long table if they have room, and the food served is the simple fare 3 or 4 course dinner served to all. No menu to choose from, just what is offered. Our dinner consisted of several cocktail offerings, a beautiful sparkling wine and pleasant conversation with the guest staying there. We then enjoyed a sophisticated first course of heirloom tomatoes and eggplant served with Burrata, a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The main course was Black cod served with seasonal vegetables. The fish was served with a delightful “Beurre Blanc” that was made from one of Diane’s secret recipes that contains no butter! You will have to enroll in Dian’s cooking school to learn how to make this delight! The fish and sauce were so light you practically had to keep your fork on it to keep it from floating away.
Desert was a light and flavorful French version of Tiramisu. Delicious to the shine on the plate!
Naturally, Eric being a wine expert who gives courses on wines to visitors and those who would like to spend a wine learning weekend at the Chateau, I had to arrive with a gift of consequence. I chose a 16 year old Madiran from my cellar and presented the bottle of Chateau Aydie, Madiran 2000, 100% Tannat grape to our hosts. I think it was a discovery for them as wine connoisseurs have a saying among themselves that a great Madiran should be at least 10 years old to be at the “beginning of perfection”. This 16 year old was proof! It was consumed along with other regional wines of Eric’s choosing, among them several great Cahors Malbecs and some Bordeaux whites, one of which was quite unusual.