Le Mas Barossa

There is a particular kind of Barossa stay that goes beyond cellar doors and tasting rooms, one where the vineyard is not a backdrop but the reason the property exists at all. Le Mas Barossa is that kind of place. Sitting on the valley floor at Rowland Flat between the Para River and rows of pre-1935 bush vine Grenache, the property is a restored 1857 farmhouse reimagined in a contemporary Provencal style by its French-Australian custodians. It is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, but the mood is more intimate country house than polished hotel: just a handful of rooms, a heated mineral pool among ghost gums, and a restaurant that only opens for guests staying on site.

The rooms are dressed in soft French hues with king-sized beds, silk curtain blockout blinds, and contemporary lighting. What lifts them is the bathroom: heated travertine flooring, Hermes toiletries, rain showers, and either a Monaco or Toulouse stone bath set beneath large French windows looking onto the gardens. Fittings are by Perrin & Rowe, and the finishing throughout feels considered rather than decorated. A Superior King category can be configured as a twin for friends travelling together, and a Queen option offers the same ensuite standard in a slightly more compact format. Petit dejeuner is included with every booking.