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Claire Thomas-Chenard: Rising above expectations at Bordeaux
(Courtesy of Chateau Larmande) With her sparkling blue eyes, honey-blonde hair and flawless skin, Claire Thomas-Chenard might easily be mistaken for an actress or model
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(Courtesy of Chateau Larmande)
With her sparkling blue eyes, honey-blonde hair and flawless skin, Claire Thomas-Chenard might easily be mistaken for an actress or model.
Mistake indeed: The slim Frenchwoman is the estate manager of Chateau Larmande, one of the oldest and most revered wine estates of the Saint-Emilion region in Bordeaux, France, where some of the world's best wines are produced.
Thomas-Chenard flew to Jakarta recently for a wine-tasting dinner at Riva Restaurant at The Park Lane Hotel, where one of her own wines was among those scrutinized by connoisseurs.
Only 27 years old when she was appointed director of Chateau Larmande, which has been accorded the prestigious Grans Crus Class*s or the "great classed growth" status, Thomas-Chenard has broken through the old clich* in the Bordeaux wine region, where the few women in charge of wine estates usually have their fathers to thank for the privilege.
If inheritance had anything to do with it in Thomas-Chenard's case, it is simply that her father was an oenologist who passed onto her a respect and passion for the wines of Bordeaux.
Herself a trained oenologist, Thomas-Chenard revealed that it was at first difficult for her to "manage men", from the managers to those working in the vineyards. She explained that of chateaus in the Saint-Emilion region - there are somewhere between 600 and 1,000 of them - less than 5 percent are managed by women. Hence, the men saw her as "doing a man's work", and regarded her with skepticism.
Rather than allow these obstacles to hinder her work, Thomas-Chenard was determined to repay the trust put in her by the chateau's owner, the La Mondiale insurance company.
Although keen to prove her doubters wrong, Thomas-Chenard, an enthusiastic windsurfer who is keen on sports and loves a challenge, understands that one must wait patiently for the vines to develop and respond to the painstaking work carried out during the growing season.
Her hard work and patience paid off when, after several years at the helm of Chateau Larmande, she had the good fortune to make her very first Larmande, assuming full responsibility for the legendary 2000 vintage.
The vintage comprises luxurious and velvety wines, and it was one of these that was savored during the wine-tasting dinner at Riva.
Those fortunate enough to sample this wine raved about it constantly when it was paired with four different types of cheese - Saint Nectar, Brie, Blue Cheese and the Beaufort. Most of the diners concurred that the Saint Nectar went best with the wine, its nutty and crunchy textures gliding smoothly over the soft and silky tannins of the 2000 Larmande.
The success of the vintage brought about a change in attitude and comments among those who doubted her and underestimated her determination and skill. Nevertheless, Thomas-Chenard modestly insists that "great wines are the result of a great team effort".
The "team effort" involves tastings alongside Michel Rolland, the estate's oenologist, the laboratories, her public relations and marketing team, and everyone else working at the vineyard.
Thomas-Chenard also credited the "great team effort" for the winery's increase in investment and acquisitions, such as the new vat cellar (the only one of its type in the world), which was used for the first time for the 2004 vintage, and the recent acquisition of a neighboring estate, Chateau Grand Faurie La Rose.
The principle of "we're all in this together" is one that the mother of two said she also tries to apply to her family, which she treasures. Although her work can take her to 10 cities in as many days when she has to promote the chateau's wines, she takes comfort in the knowledge that her husband, Franck, is in Bordeaux to take care of their two young children, Erwann, a four-year-old boy, and Louane, a five-month-old girl.
Chuckling as she described her family life, Thomas-Chenard admitted that her husband, who moved to Bordeaux from Paris after they got married, does not fit the traditional mold.
"Usually it's the woman who follows her husband," she says. "But this is the other way around."
It helps that Franck, who works at home in the field of telecommunications, has a more flexible schedule, making it more convenient for the couple for him to watch their two children.
Nevertheless, she stressed that when she is at home or when they are on family vacations, the couple shares their household and childcare duties equally.
It is indeed a hectic life for the wine expert and promoter: On the morning following the interview, Thomas-Chenard had to leave her hotel at 4 a.m. to catch a flight to Hong Kong. But in only a few days after that, she would be back to Bordeaux - to be with her family and the chateau that she adores.
