Los Angeles, CA, Aug. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Only six years after acquiring two vineyards in Saint-Emilion, Zaya S. Younan, Chairman & CEO of Younan Company and La Maison Younan, became the first ever American winemaker to be inducted in the Jurade of Saint-Emilion as a Winemaker of Honor, Bourgeois of St Émilion by the Grand Jury Council on the 19th of June 2022.
Founded 800 years ago and revived in 1948, the Jurade preserves the soul and culture of the best winemaking in Saint-Émilion and in the world. Among notable inductees, we can name the Chairman of Pétrus, considered by many to be the best red wine in the world.
Mr. Younan owns two beautiful vineyards, Château Zaya and Château La Croix Younan, all located in Saint-Émilion Grand Cru region. Covering 25 acres, Château Zaya property’s close proximity are the well-known two Saint-Emilion premier Grand Cru Classé “A” properties, Château Pavie and Château Ausone, where excellent wines have been produced for decades and only 50 meters away from Château Zaya.
La Maison Younan acquired Château Zaya (formerly Château La Garelle), with a goal to establish an international reputation as an impressive wine in Bordeaux, France. Since the acquisition, La Maison Younan has invested in implementing and perfecting vine growth, production process and facility. Château Zaya’s viticulture and vinification team is headed by the French expert Dr. Alain Raynaud, the former President of the Union des Grands Crus and one of the founders and current President of the Grand Cercle de Vins de Bordeaux.
The second vineyard, Château la Croix Younan covers 22 acres and is one of the few large vineyards located in Saint-Émilion. The wines of this vineyard date back to the 1950s and have been known for producing some of the richest, most lush and premium wines on the Right Bank. Château La Croix Younan is the first American-owned vineyard from Saint-Émilion to be included in the Rive Droite, elite selection of 113 wines representing wine making excellence in Bordeaux’s Right Bank. Formerly known as Château la Croix Fourney, the name change to Château La Croix Younan represents the care and passion that is implemented by Zaya S. Younan to make exceptional wine, sacrificing quantity for the highest quality handcrafted wines, represented today by the only one label produced in perfect Bordeaux style, La Croix Younan (64% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc).
« It has always been a dream of mine to own and operate a vineyard in the Saint-Émilion region. Since the acquisition, the main priorities were the restructuring of the vineyard and the improvement of the winemaking process and I am proud to see that all the efforts paid off today and resulted in my induction in Saint-Emilion Jurade, which is a big personal accomplishment. » – says Zaya S. Younan, Chairman & CEO of La Maison Younan.
The technical team of Château la Croix Younan is also led by Dr. Alain Raynaud and Ludovic Perez. When it comes to comparing Château Zaya and Château La Croix Younan, Alain Raynaud says – «Château Zaya, with a Merlot majority, is a fruity, accessible wine, at the image of the new trend in the Bordeaux region. Château La Croix Younan is more structured, more upscale. »
Mr. Younan’s investments in Bordeaux region are just starting and the businessman has much bigger ambitions for the future: « It is an honor for me to be the first American to be inducted into the Jurade de Saint-Emilion. This is only the beginning of my mission in the wine industry and I plan on expanding into the Bordeaux vineyards. I see myself eventually leading 200 hectares of vineyards in the next 5 years. It is my dream to be one of the best wine makers in the world before I call it quits » – says Zaya S. Younan.
About Younan company
Younan Company is a global private equity firm that specializes in acquisitions and management of various assets and companies in the luxury consumer space. The company’s strategy is to build a portfolio of luxury products and properties, and lifestyle companies and services. Today, Younan Company is recognized as a global luxury brand with more than $3.2 billion in assets under management through its subsidiaries Premium Cigar Maker El Septimo Geneva SA, Younan Properties and La Maison Younan. La Maison Younan owns and manages luxury hotels and resorts in France, including Château de Beauvois, Hôtel Saint-Martin, Château Le Prieuré, Alexandra Palace, Domaine de Vaugouard, and Château de la Perrière, as well as Malibu Foz Hotel and Beach Resort located in Figueira da Foz, Portugal, four French golf courses including Golf des Forges, Golf du Petit Chêne, Golf d ’Avrillé, and Golf de Vaugouard, two vineyards in Saint-Émilion including Château La Croix Younan and Château Zaya, and MPA Studio de Création Design Agency in Paris.
Attachments
- Zaya S. Younan becomes the first American winemaker to be inducted in the french Jurade of Saint-Émilion
- Jurade of Saint-Emilion on the 19th of June 2022
