Forbes calls Jean-Charles Boisset, a “showman and entrepreneur, visionary and dynamo, storyteller and entertainer” with “panache and business acumen” who has “learned well from his parents and grandparents the value of long-term, quality stewardship of land.”
Jean-Charles Boisset (JCB) was born in 1969 in Vougeot, France, in the Burgundy region. His lifelong passion for wine began as a child, growing up above the cellars and within view of the centuries-old vineyards of Château du Clos de Vougeot. His parents, Jean-Claude and Claudine Boisett, founded the family winery bearing his father’s name in 1961, bringing forth their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in one of the most traditional wine-growing regions in the world.
Jean-Charles discovered Napa and Sonoma when he was a young boy touring California with his grandparents and sister, Nathalie. Today, he and Nathalie run Boisett Collection, a $400 million empire which includes dozens of international wineries in Burgundy, the Rhone Valley and Beaujolais in France, as well as in Napa and Sonoma valleys in California. They also own wineries in England and India. All adhere to organic principles, and several are certified as biodynamic.
In 2003 the Boisset name made its first appearance in American with the purchase of DeLoach Vineyards in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. In 2009 Jean-Charles furthered his quest for California wineries with a sense of history, heritage and a pioneering spirit with the purchase of Raymond Vineyards in 2009 and Buena Vista Winery in 2011, both in the Napa Valley. Boisset Collection presence in California continued to grow with the introduction of JCB tasting lounges in St. Helena, at The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, in Yountville (which also includes the épicerie Atelier Fine Foods and later the JCB Salon Privé in Yountville and in Healdsburg. JCB Spirits, a collection of luxury vodkas and gin distilled from Burgundy wine was introduced in 2018.
Boisett Collection acquired the Oakville Grocery and adjacent Victorian Durrant & Booth house in 2019. Both the house and the store draw attention to the year 1881 when the Oakville Grocery’s roots first really took hold as a mainstay in the heart of the Napa Valley. At the grocery, food is not selected for its exotic qualities, as it was in the 1970s Oakville Grocery, or for its convenience, like in the 1950s. Under JCB, it’s all about purity, quality, sustainability, and locale. Visitors can eat, drink or shop for groceries to go. With its view of the mountains to the east and the west, the Durrant & Booth house been transformed into Oakville Wine Merchant, a museum and elevated retail experience.
Beyond wine and spirits, The Boisset Collection has also grown to include other things that champion and illustrate Jean-Charles’ unique flair and passion for things that celebrate the passion of life. Retails and on-line shops offer wine gifts, including custom labeling and etched bottles, as well as unique home accessories and products. Namesake collections include the JCB Passion Collection by Baccarat, JCB jewelry and perfumes,. In Yountville, SENSES by JCB a fashion and fragrance boutique and medi-spa.
Get to know Jean-Charles by watching World of Boisset Virtual Happy Hours on the JCB Live YouTube Channel. Join the Boisset Wine Society or become a JCB Collector to gain exclusive access to new releases and special wines from the Boisset Colleciton of wineries and receive regular deliveries of your favorite wines and entry into the wine lifestyle epitomized by Jean-Charles Boisset as well perks during visits to their wineries and tasting rooms, priority access to special events, complimentary wine tastings and winery tours. Collector members receive additional perks and access to the most highly-rated wines from France and California.
It’s on our list! We’ll be planning some opportunities for our audience to meet Jean-Charles Boisset locally and in Napa / Sonoma. Please email [email protected] with your request to be added to the priority notice about local wine events and trips to the California wine country.
