O VINARIJI / ABOUT THE WINERY
U siječnju 2016. obitelj Tesseron (Pontet-Canet & Tesseron Cognac) postala je vlasnikom Ville Sorriso (Vila osmijeha), nekadašnjeg posjeda glumca Robina Williamsa. Glumac je vinograd krstio srednjim imenima svoje djece “PYM” i “RAE”. Zbog ove dirljive priče i poštovanja prema prethodnim vlasnicima, Tesseronovi su odlučili nastaviti ovo ime za vino domene.
Pym-Rae dolazi od trsova prosječno starih 29 godina. Većina proizvođača u Napi preferira mlađe vinove loze zbog veće količine koju mogu proizvesti. Tesseronovi vjeruju da ne postoji zamjena za kvalitetu, preferirajući starije vinove loze za proizvodnju vina. Nijedan trs nije zasađen jer je vinograd bio u odličnom stanju kada je obitelj Tesseron kupila ovo izuzetno imanje.
Tesseronovima nije strana proizvodnja vina svjetske klase. Posjeduju najbolji peti klasificirani rast u Bordeauxu – sa sjedištem u Pauillacu – jedinstveni Château Pontet-Canet. Također su posjedovali i upravljali Saint-Estephe četvrtim rastom Château Lafon-Rochet do 2021. Obitelj je započela 1905. kada je Abel Tesseron stvorio vlastitu tvrtku za proizvodnju konjaka, koja je stekla veliku reputaciju među najboljim svjetskim poznavateljima konjaka.
Prije nego što je Tesseron preuzeo ovo imanje, vinograd Pym-Rae nije aktivno proizvodio vino. Umjesto toga, grožđe je prodano raznim proizvođačima uključujući Roberta Craiga, Vineyard 29 i Rombauera.
In January 2016, the Tesseron family (Pontet-Canet & Tesseron Cognac) became the owners of Villa Sorriso (Villa of Smiles), the former property of the actor Robin Williams. The actor christened the vineyard with the middle names of his children “PYM” and “RAE”. Due to this touching story and with respect to the previous owners, the Tesserons have chosen to continue this name for the domain’s wine.
Pym-Rae comes from vines averaging 29 years in age. Most producers in Napa prefer younger vines for the increased quantity they can produce. The Tesseron’s believe there is no substitute for quality, preferring the older vines for their wine production. None of the vines have been replanted since the vineyard was in great shape when the Tesseron family acquired this exceptional property.
The Tesseron’s are no strangers to producing world-class wine. They own Bordeaux’s finest fifth classified growth–based in Pauillac–the unique Château Pontet-Canet. They also owned and manage the Saint-Estephe fourth-growth Château Lafon-Rochet up until 2021. The family got its start in 1905 when Abel Tesseron created his own Cognac company, which has developed a great reputation among the world’s finest Cognac connoisseurs.
Prior to the Tesseron’s acquisition of this estate, the Pym-Rae vineyard was not actively producing wine. Instead, the grapes were sold to various producers including Robert Craig, Vineyard 29, and Rombauer.