Bouchon

Owners: Bouchon Family
Chief Winemaker: Christian Sepúlveda
Website: bouchonfamilywines.com
Commercial Contact: ptorres@vfcwines.com



History
The Bouchon family has a winemaking history of over 135 years and four generations. It all began with the arrival of Emile Bouchon from France in 1887, who came to Chile as a wine consultant and later acquired an old winery in the Colchagua Valley, transforming it into a renowned vineyard. This tradition was carried on by his children.

However, it was his grandson, Julio Bouchon S., who fell in love with a new terroir in the interior drylands of the Maule Valley. In 1977, he acquired the Mingre estate, an ancient property with dry-farmed vineyards and an adobe winery dating back to the early 20th century. Bouchon combined his French and Chilean heritage through his wines, crafting varieties from Bordeaux and local grapes, such as Carménère, Carignan, and País.

One of his projects has been to protect and revitalize the País grape, one of Chile's ancestral grape varieties (vineyards dating back to the 16th century), as a way to showcase the authentic identity of Chilean wine on the world stage. His work is part of a new generation of Chilean winemakers who delve into Chile's viticultural past to shape its future.

Vineyards
The Bouchon vineyards are planted in the interior drylands of the Maule Valley, on ancient granite soils that contribute to the minerality and depth of their wines.

Mingre
Located in the Maule Valley, in the interior drylands, 45 km from the Pacific Ocean and at an altitude of 193 meters above sea level, this vineyard covers an area of 50 hectares on granitic soils that are over 120 million years old. The vineyard is organized in vertical trellises to maximize solar radiation. 52% of the plots are irrigated via drip irrigation using deficit irrigation techniques, while the remaining plots are not irrigated. It has a temperate Mediterranean climate, with average maximum and minimum temperatures in summer of 30°C and 7°C, respectively. The average annual precipitation is 540 mm, concentrated mainly in the winter months (June, July, and August). Grape varieties planted: Cabernet Sauvignon (32%), Chardonnay (26%), Carménère (22%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Petit Verdot (4%), Syrah (4%), Carignan (4%), País (2%), Garnacha (1%), and Mourvèdre (1%).

Batuco
Located in the interior drylands of the Maule Valley, 30 km from the Pacific Ocean and 187 meters above sea level. With a planted area of 22 hectares on granitic soil, characteristic of certain slopes of the Coastal Mountain Range, which intermixes with varying percentages of sand and silt. It is managed in vertical trellises and does not have irrigation. It has a temperate Mediterranean climate, with coastal influence due to its proximity to the sea, four well-marked seasons, and absence of rainfall during the summer months. Grape varieties planted: Sauvignon Blanc (60%), Chardonnay (22%), and Sémillon (18%).

Santa Rosa
Located in the Maule Valley, 54 km from the Pacific Ocean and 61 meters above sea level. It has a planted area of 90 hectares on alluvial soils, due to its proximity to the Maule River, with a large number of round stones intermixed with clay. The plots are trained in vertical trellises and irrigated via drip irrigation. It has a temperate Mediterranean climate with coastal influence from the breezes that rise from the Pacific Ocean through the Maule River. It has four well-marked seasons, and precipitation is concentrated in the winter months (June, July, and August). Grape varieties planted: Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Merlot (22%), Carménère (17%), Sauvignon Blanc (16%), Malbec (9%), and Chardonnay (6%).

Wines from Bouchon