Pitching high hopes for the Indian market
Their wines have gained in quality, purity and intensity based on the aromatic. Thanks to the organic and now biodynamic certification, the quality of our wines is continually upgrading, thereby getting better structure and better juice for customers to drink worldwide, says Nicolas Boissonneau, sixth generation owner of the family. owned Boissonneau Wines.
While speaking with Bishan Kumar, Nicolas says he is willing to go for a long haul in the Indian market and will work hard to make his wines popular in India.
The winery has both heritage and character in abundance. Located in the iconic region of Bordeaux, Vignobles Boissonneau is a family-owned winery located in one of the southernmost estates of the Entre-Deux-Mers area, stretching on the slope of the village of Saint- Michel-de-Lapujade.For over 180 years, the family has been producing recognised organic wines from Bordeaux and from South-West of France.
“This has been made possible due to the result of our know-how and passion for six generations; for the family-owned and 100 percent organic set-up,” says Nicolas Boissonneau.
Bordeaux’s terroir and variety of grapes are spread across 55 ha (136 ac.), and is 100 percent certified organic. Their conversion to organic farming started way back in 2007 and almost 10 years later, in 2016, Boissonneau vineyards achieved full organic certification for the entire vineyard.
Biodynamic Certification
In 2020,the winery decided to step forward to fulfill their commitment to the Earth protection and agricultural practices by applying for biodynamic certification. “After over a year, we proudly achieved the biodynamic certification for our vineyard. It is another step, but not the last as we are always thinking about how to improve our work in the vineyard; work on the biodiversity of our terroir, and diversify our cultural practices,” he shares.
The winery grows a total of 11 different grape varieties, which include seven red grape varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Castet, Abouriou, and Syrah. They also grow four white grape varieties, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Semillon, Muscadelle. Three different types of soils comprise the terroir of the Boissonneau vineyards, namely clay, limestone and boulbène.
Historical Roots
Tracing the history of the winery, Nicolas says first vines were planted in the 12th century by Eleanor of Aqu itaine, Queen of France who then became Queen of England. Boissonneau family bought the first parcels in 1839 and today they produce organic Bordeaux Supérieur Red wines, Bordeaux White wines as well as some Southwest France wines. His main wines include Château de la Vieille Tour and Château Moulin de Ferrand. As a family-owned winery, they sell their wines worldwide and export 95 percent of the production to Europe, North America, Asia and Southeast Asia. The main markets for their wines are Germany, the US and China.
Their organic wines, he says, are the result of over 180 years of know-how of agricultural practices and winemaking. Their wines draw respect and express their terroir by getting lovely aromatic profiles, coupled with outstanding balance and structure. “These are wines you can enjoy on the first year of their release or later, after few more years or decades of ageing in a bottle,” he asserts.
