Jean Charles Boisset: Burgundy, Sonoma, and Napa Valley’s Flamboyant Wine Ambassador
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Jean Charles Boisset: Burgundy, Sonoma, and Napa Valley’s Flamboyant Wine Ambassador
Multiple Wine Brands: JCB, Raymond Vineyards, DeLoach Vineyards, Buena Vista, and 1881 wines in the US – Just add Burgundy holdings to the mix of the Boisset Collection.
Interview: Jean Charles Boisset by Tricia Conover DipWSET®
What a delightful time I had in Napa Valley asking the “always fun and exuberant” Jean Charles Boisset the question, “What was your first wine “AH-HA” moment? In this brief video clip, Jean Charles tells the story of his age 7 experience at his parents’ party. Jean Charles is Napa Valley and Burgundy’s flamboyant Wine Ambassador with many wine brands among US and France wine regions.
Future Wine Wanderings newsletters will describe Boisset’s newest venture: the 1881 Napa Valley Wine History Museum.
Jean Charles Boisset’s History, Enterprises, Accomplishments
For those few people unfamiliar with Jean Charles Boisset (JCB) and his worldwide wine enterprises, here are a few details:
· Jean Charles Boisset and his sister Nathalie represent the 2nd generation of the Boisset wine family, whose holdings in Burgundy include areas of the Côte-de-Nuits and Côte-de-Beaune under a single estate, Le Domaine de La Vougeraie. Jean Charles Boisset serves as President of the Boisset Collection, one of the Top 25 wine producers in the United States.
· Napa Valley and Russian River Valley properties include DeLoach Vineyards, Raymond Vineyards (Rutherford and St. Helena), Buena Vista Winery – California’s 1st premium winery rounded, JCB by Jean Charles Boisset, and several other wineries.
· JCB tasting lounges are located in Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, Healdsburg, Sonoma County, and in Napa Valley, St. Helena and Yountville. They feature custom wines and wine bottles with snake, leopard, and jeweled ornaments. JCB Perfumes like JCB N.0 and JCB N. 13 at $395 each can be found there, too.
· JCB spirits produce luxury vodkas and gin distilled from Burgundy wines and caviar-infused and truffle-infused vodkas.
· In 2015, Jean Charles partnered with the famous musician John Legend to create the LVE brand of wines. See the rosé below, sourced from Provence, France.
· In 2014, JFK University in Concord named Jean-Charles and his wife Gina Gallo its “Entrepreneurs of the Year.”
· In 2019, Jean Charles acquired the Oakville Grocery (in Yountville and Healdsburg, CA) and created alongside the Yountville location the 1881 Napa Valley Wine History Museum with its own wine brand and all-Napa Valley choices wine tasting bar.
· DecanterMagazine included Jean Charles Boisset on the “Power List” of the 50 most important people in the wine world each year since 2007.
This is just a small summary of the accomplishments and undertakings of this busy, remarkable man. I hope you enjoy the video clip as much as I enjoyed tasting some of his numerous brands.
“Best of Tasting” Recommendations
JCB # 7 Pinot Noir, Sonoma: from Sonoma (Sebastopol Hills, Petaluma Gap, and Carneros), $60. Named for the time at age 7 when Jean Charles snuck some wine from his mom at a party. See video clip above.
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast
2020 LVE by John Legend Cotes de Provence Rosé, $24
91 Points, WW at wine.com
2017 Raymond District Collection Calistoga, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $95
94 Points, Wine Advocate
2016 1881 Napa The Founders Cabernet Sauvignon, $50
94 Points, JamesSuckling.com
2019 Buena Vista Chateau Buena Vista Chardonnay, Carneros $35
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Wine Tasting and Tour Experiences at Raymond Vineyards:
1. A Taste of the Valley – Arrange a tasting.
2. Winemaker for a Day, $125/person including your wine. Custom designed label. Blend a Bordeaux-style wine yourself. I have done this multiple times. It’s always a favorite Napa experience.
3. Private Tour and Tasting – Garden, crush pad, tank and barrel cellare, private group tasting.
4. Crystal Cellar Baccarat tour – You have to see this to believe it, the crystal, the chandeliers, the opulence.
5. Red Room lounge-- enjoy tasting, play cards, peruse book collection.
6. Virtual Tour with Jean Charles.
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