Jean Bousquet
Jean Bousquet was born in 1948 in Carcassonne, southern France. A third-generation winegrower, he has always loved wine and vineyards. At the age of 23, he acquired 140 hectares of abandoned land in France, comprising approximately 30% old vineyards, 40% apple trees and 30% uncultivated land. Everything had to be started afresh. Twenty years later, 120 hectares were planted with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and a winery equipped with the latest technology had been established.
Demand for his wines continued to grow. Always striving for the highest quality, Jean realised that although he had chosen good land, there was not enough sunshine to achieve the ripeness and grape quality he wanted. Determined to find the ideal location, he began visiting wine-growing regions around the world each winter. In 1990, he discovered the vineyards in and around Mendoza, Argentina. After tasting local wines and carefully studying the soils and climate, Jean decided that he had finally found the perfect wine-growing region.
In 1997, he founded his new winery in Tupungato, 80 km south-east of Mendoza. The area offers excellent growing conditions and an ideal climate, with mild days and cool nights. At more than 1,200 metres above sea level, the vineyards benefit from good air circulation and therefore relatively low pest pressure. Highly permeable sandy soil over gravel also provides favourable plant-health conditions. Together, these advantages allow the grapes to reach optimal ripeness without undue risk of drying out or suffering pest damage.
