garage wines

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Term used used to describe high-quality, extremely expensive wines produced in very small quantities, particularly BORDEAUX AC wines from a group of small estates in SAINT-ÉMILION AC. The term derives from the fact that some of these wines are actually made in garages or small buildings and not in the grand châteaux. The prototype "garage" wine came from Chateau Le Pin, a small 5acre estate in the POMEROL AC next to Saint-Émilion. It became a star in the early 1980s and commanded extremely high prices for its limited wine production. The best-known emulators of this success are Valandraud and La Mondotte of Saint-Émilion. Such wines are sometimes referred to as vins de garage, the producers referred to as microchâteau and garagistes. In the United States, the term garage wines is occasionally but infrequently used for very small production, hardto-find wines; more often the term CULT WINES is used.