The NBA great is getting serious about his interest in wine, buying an estate in the Rhône.
© Château Saint Laurent|Parker checks out his brand-new vineyards at Château Saint Laurent near Avignon.
Retired Franco-US basketball star Tony Parker has actually acquired a wine estate and château simply outside Avignon in southern France’s Rhône valley.
The 40 year-old sports star acquired the Château Saint Laurent estate, some 11km (6.8 miles) due east of main Avignon this year, and 2022 will be the very first vintage produced under Parker’s control.
Previously called Château Noël Saint Laurent, the building go back to the 14th Century, when it was a prepared farmhouse. According to reports, your house boasts a 10-km (6-mile) tunnel to the Palais des Papes (the Popes’ Palace) in Avignon and it has been recommended the estate, under the Carthusian monks at the time, provided the Popes, then resident in Avignon, with wine.
The building was totally renovated by a regional noble household in the 18th Century and boasts 2000 square meters of floorspace, an outside swimming pool, 22 spaces and a breathtaking terrace. The building (that includes a winery) is surrounded by trees and lies simply 100 meters from the A7 motorway, likewise referred to as the Autoroute du Soleil (the “motorway of the sun”). It is likewise a few hundred meters northeast of Avignon-Provence airport.
“I fell for Château Saint Laurent as soon as I saw it,” said the sports star, who added that he had “constantly enjoyed the Rhône Valley”.
There are also 40 hectares (100 acres) of vineyard on the estate, which rests on clay limestone soils on the ancient bed of the Durance river. Prior to the takeover, the Noël family had produced Côtes du Rhône white wines under the Château Noël Saint Laurent brand in conjuction with manufacturer and négoce brand name Louis Bernard.
It is comprehended Parker, who confirmed rumours he was aiming to release a red wine in late 2021, will produce both blends (likely Côtes du Rhône) and monovarietal wines from the estate. According to a press release, the estate is presently licensed Haute Valeur Environnementale and is in the process of conversion to organic viticulture.
Grapes cultivated on the residential or commercial property consist of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Viognier and Roussanne.
“I am now completely devoted to crafting some amazing wines,” said the star, “while at the same time making one of the most unbelievable reception venues in the South of France available for private use.”
The residential or commercial property is due to open for private celebrations, wedding events, and conferences from June 2023.
The very first release of Parker’s new white wines (3000 bottles) is set to be in November 2023 in combination with an NFT (non-fungible token) release this December. 5 hundred NFT tokens will go on sale next month via Club dVIN (an NFT red wine club), giving purchasers access to six bottles of Parker’s preliminary vintage plus an ensured allowance of 6 bottles from every subsequent release.
Club dVIN was developed by US-based business owners David Garrett and Behdad Shahsavari and utilizes NFTs and blockchain technology to acquire red wines and go to wine-related occasions.
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