Boisset Family Estates Buys Buena Vista Carneros

NEWS RELEASE

April 29, 2011 – St. Helena, CA: Boisset Family Estates, bolstered by its constant search for heritage, tradition and its deep commitment to California’s unique place in the wine world, today announces that addition of Buena Vista Carneros to its collection of wineries. Through Buena Vista, Boisset reaffirms its well-established commitment to historical wineries in California’s most prestigious appellations.

“Buena Vista has been a long-held dream, as I have always been charmed by the oldest stones of the California wine world,” said Jean-Charles Boisset, visionary at the helm of his family-owned firm.

“I’ve admired its amazing sense of place and revered its history as California’s oldest premium winery. The addition of Buena Vista to our portfolio adds further legitimacy to our foundation in terroir-driven wines in California. With its stunning emphasis on quality from Carneros, Buena Vista Winery resonates beautifully within our collection of prominent California wineries, adding a cornerstone to the history that each of our wineries represents: DeLoach Vineyards played a pioneering role in establishing Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley; Raymond Vineyards was among the first to lay roots in the historical Rutherford appellation in the Napa Valley; and Lyeth Estate was a founding member of the Meritage tradition of Bordeaux varietals from the Alexander Valley. Collecting these deep roots in California emphasizes our belief in being a guardian of the history of the California wine world.

Count Agoston Haraszthy, founder of Buena Vista, catapulted California into modern wine history by bringing vitis vinifera to California and establishing the foundation upon which modern California viticulture is based, not unlike Thomas Jefferson’s pioneering role in bringing wine to Virginia. We are honored to assume the responsibility of bringing Buena Vista Winery ‘back to the future’, embracing its deep history while simultaneously ensuring it remains one of the most relevant wineries in the modern wine world.”

As part of Boisset Family Estates, Buena Vista will continue its focus on the varietals that have defined it: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah. Boisset has secured long-term contracts for the Ramal Vineyard Estate in the heart of the Carneros appellation, which boasts more than 100 separate vineyard blocks based on topography, geology and microclimates on nearly 500 acres, in order to perpetuate the high-quality, estate-driven philosophy that guided Buena Vista to prominence.

The original tasting room and historical winery in Carneros, now a California Historic Landmark, will continue to offer wine country visitors an incredible experience of wine, food and history in the original stone buildings. Tens of thousands of visitors a year enjoy its tasting room and event center just outside the town of Sonoma. Set along the south-facing hillside overlooking San Pablo Bay, the breathtaking site straddles the southern-most tips of Sonoma and Napa Counties. Wind and fog sweep in daily from the bay to cool the vines of the Ramal Vineyard, extending its growing season and leading to ideal maturation of its cool-climate varietals.

“Buena Vista further demonstrates our desire to deeply anchor ourselves within California, as well as France, in order to continue to promote the prominence of California wines throughout the world with an admiration for history and a true sense of style,” said Boisset. “We hold within us the compelling mission to bring California’s most historical winery to greater heights on the world stage.”

Buena Vista’s remarkable history in California is as colorful as it is proud, dating to the mid-1800s when Count Haraszthy brought his visionary interest in viticulture to Carneros.  At tremendous personal expense, he imported cuttings from the greatest European vineyards, and ultimately established the Buena Vista winery in 1857. Through a published account of his journey, he helped thrust the California wine industry into the spotlight. The great earthquake of 1906 virtually destroyed the underground cellars Haraszthy had built; in 1940, journalist Frank Bartholomew restored the winery to its original grandeur.

A leading family-owned wine company, Boisset Family Estates has throughout its history shown a commitment to exceptional estates with deep history in their respective terroirs. The addition of Buena Vista Carneros further emphasizes this enduring reputation. Boisset’s commitment to sustainable, organic and Biodynamic® farming in its vineyards worldwide provides further confirmation of the family’s focus on exceptional, terroir-driven wines.

About Boisset Family Estates

Boisset Family Estates is a family-owned producer and importer of fine wines founded in Burgundy, France in 1961. Boisset’s collection of more than twenty historical and unique wineries boast leading positions in the world’s pre-eminent terroirs, including Burgundy, Beaujolais, the Rhône Valley, the South of France, Canada, and California’s Russian River Valley and Napa Valley. One of the world’s foremost producers of Pinot Noir and principal proponents of organic and Biodynamic viticulture, Boisset crafts fine wines with a strict terroir approach: each house in its family of wineries has a unique history, identity, and style, yet all are united in the pursuit of superior quality. To learn more about the Boisset Family Estates collection, please visit www.boissetfamilyestates.com.

About Buena Vista 

Founded in 1857 as California’s first winery, Buena Vista Carneros focuses on cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah off its Ramal Vineyard Estate, in the heart of the Carneros appellation. With its 564 acres of rolling hills and 112 individual vineyard blocks delineated by diverse soil type, clonal selection and rootstock, the Ramal Vineyard is the crown jewel of all Carneros. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah ripen perfectly on the Carneros estate, tempered by the moderating influence of the San Pablo Bay and cooled by the afternoon winds from the Petaluma Wind Gap. For more information, please visit: www.buenavistacarneros.com. 

For questions, please contact:

Jean-Charles Boisset
Boisset Family Estates
E-mail : jeancharles.boisset@boisset.com
Patrick.egan@boisset.com, Marketing Manager
Tel: 707.963.6900; 707.963.9617
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