Philippe Bascaules

Winemaker, Inglenook

Personally chosen by Francis Ford Coppola, renowned French winemaker Philippe Bascaules came to Napa from Bordeaux in 2011 to become General Manager and Winemaker of Inglenook.

Born and bred in the southwest of France, Bascaules was a gifted student with a love of nature that ultimately inspired his passion for oenology. After receiving an agricultural engineering degree with a specialty in oenology from the graduate school of agronomy in Montpellier, France, Bascaules began his career at the legendary Chateau Margaux, one of France's five First Growth Bordeaux wineries, serving as assistant to the Estate Director, and during the past eleven years, was elevated to Estate Director overseeing the vineyards and cellars and working alongside renowned General Manager Paul Pontallier.

At Inglenook, Bascaules now leads a team of talented winemaking professionals dedicated to Coppola's vision of making Inglenook the finest New World estate wine produced in the Old World style. In 1890, founder Gustave Niebaum stated that Inglenook would one day "produce the finest wines, to equal and excel the most famous vintages of Europe." Over a century later, Coppola and Bascaules continue the Inglenook legacy.

Country born: France

Education: An Agricultural Engineering degree with a specialty in Oenology from the graduate school of agronomy in Montpellier, France

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
To reflect the true character of our historic Estate