Eric Bompard: Viticulture as a Goldsmith's Craft

Eric Bompard: From Cashmere to Vineyards

After 35 years at the helm of one of France’s leading cashmere companies, Eric Bompard has decided to turn the page and embark on a new adventure: wine!

A gradual transition to wine production

Five years after purchasing a vineyard, Eric began the transition step by step. He threw himself fully into the project in 2016—with some trepidation at first—but has since achieved true success.
His desire was to become a student again, start from scratch in a field he knew nothing about, and launch a new venture! He was drawn to wine because, as he puts it, “vineyards require precision work”; one must not only respect the environment but also manage its uncertainties.

For Eric, the key is organization; you have to deploy the right resources at the right time. Since the estate isn’t very large, everyone has a role to play, which is why Eric wanted, from the very beginning, to build team cohesion so that everyone could do their part.

The estate and its wines

Why did he choose the south? The diversity of soils and grape varieties, a steep learning curve to navigate, and a complete change of scenery! He therefore chose La Bergerie d’Aquino, a 10-hectare estate located in the Var hills of Provence, where Eric cultivates a variety of local grape varieties such as Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Rolle! All of them are AOP-certified! Eric is constantly striving to improve his wines and is currently searching for a new grape variety to expand the aromatic profile of his vintages.

On his estate, Syrah reigns supreme, with some vines over 40 years old! Thanks to this grape variety, he currently offers two cuvées. The first is L’Étoile, available in red, white, and rosé. It perfectly captures the terroir’s character, and the cuvées are crafted with the aim of producing unique wines!

His second flagship wine, La Bergerie (available in red and white), is made from the best vineyards, aged in barrels, and has excellent aging potential! To achieve this, he works closely with Laure, his winemaker, who guides him throughout the winemaking process.

In order to show the utmost respect for the land and what it provides, Eric decided to switch to organic farming very quickly, and this effort is now nearing completion, as his 2019 harvest will be officially certified organic! It is also out of a desire to respect nature that the estate includes about ten hectares of virgin forest, and for Eric, there’s no question of touching it! The 2018 harvest was excellent, and Eric is optimistic about the quality of the final product. “We work with the precision of a jeweler; since we can’t produce in large quantities, we have to be even more meticulous about the quality of our wines—like our rosé, for example!”

Eric is very forward-thinking: “I don’t limit myself to the next harvest!” For him, it’s an ongoing dialogue with his teams to develop the estate to its fullest potential in every aspect of the work, whether it involves the vineyard or the wine.

Find Eric Bompard’s wines on Les Grappes!