Presidial 2005 - Jean Luc Thunevin: Master Garagiste Produces a Brilliant Everyday Bordeaux From the Vintage We Have Been Waiting For
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Jean Luc Thunevin and Murielle in Their St Emilion Garden
This is the last of the Presidial 2005. I've ordered and re-ordered and re-ordered again. And, it's sold out three times. Jean-Luc Thunevin now tells me, "That's all, Folks".
So, right now is the last chance to snag this Thunevin-nurtured, spectacularly affordable 2005 Bordeaux beauty. And, you can drink it now.
You probably already know that the harvest of 2005 just may be the best vintage to come out of Bordeaux EVER.
"I have never tasted so many extraordinarily rich, concentrated, massive wines so high in tannin and extract, yet with such precision, definition and freshness. It is clearly a singular vintage that should evolve into one of the great vintages of Bordeaux." Robert Parker The Wine Advocate 4/06
"The great thing about the successful 2005s is their purity - they have power, but they also have refreshment value - one would like to call the wines classic claret, but Bordeaux has surely never known a vintage quite like this." Jancis Robinson
"the message is clear: 2005 is a knockout. Apparently the wines will be greater than great," Eric Asimov The New York Times 5/06
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"Bordeaux's beautiful baby - Bordeaux wine producers knew from the moment they picked their grapes that they were onto something very special, even extraordinary and now the new wines resting in the cellars, confirm that initial impression-the vintage is clearly exceptional." The Wine Spectator
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Presidial is going to give Chateau Latour a run for its money. But, what I am saying is that when these blockbuster vintages roll around that's when you and I should scramble after the little gems like Presidial because they will be exceptionally good - in fact, taste way beyond their pedigree. Yes, This is the year to buy the petit chateaux.
Thunevin's Presidial already has an impressive track record. The 2003 and 2004 pulled down the praise from La Revue du Vins de France. The 2003 turned up the number one rated wine in the Bordeaux section of La Revue's French Guide to the Best Wines at a low Price. La Revue says that Presidial represents without a doubt the best rapport between quality and price in Bordeaux.
So don't get turned off to the 2005 Bordeaux because of all the talk about how much they're going to cost you. The answer is: not much if you know what to buy or who to buy. Jean-Luc is your man.
You all know who he is, don't you? You could say that Jean Luc Thunevin started the whole "garage" movement back in 1989. Garage wines, as you probably know by now, are small production wines from tiny parcels of wines that are tended as preciously as orchid gardens. Jean Luc bought a tiny parcel, on the "wrong side of the tracks" in St Emilion and proved to the venerable St Emilion establishment in a few vintages that one could make a silk purse from a moose's ear if you did things like de- stemming by hand and severe green harvesting and keeping the yields very, very low.
He called his wine Valandraud. It led the way in the quality revolution in St Emilion that persists to this day. Now, even the old establishment types are copying his every move. We have Jean Luc Thunevin to thank for a lot of the great wine coming out of St. Emilion because today, he advises many, many chateau owners about their wines.
He taught Bordeaux by example that just because you don't have the best terroir out there with good vineyard work and meticulous vinification, you can conceive a wine way above its class. It has always been Jean Luc Thunevin's objective to get the most out of any terroir whether it be a fancy cru or a petite unclassified. He just wants to make great wine.
And so, when I tasted the opulent, fruity ripeness and soft tannic structure of the 2005 Presidial I knew immediately I had hit upon one of those "overachievers" . And best of all, I will feel no guilt uncorking these bottles because of the price, but neither will I feel I have made any compromise toward quality. Thank you, Jean Luc. Cynthia Hurley
The Details:
Presidial Bordeaux 2005 12 bottle case, $189
Think about 2 cases and Save $20 2 cases only $358 ($14.91) This is ready to drink now and will go very quickly.
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