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Château Bouscaut

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Address: 1477 avenue de Toulon 33140 Cadaujac

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 83 12 20

E-mail: cb@chateau-bouscaut.com

Website: www.chateau-bouscaut.com

Château Bouscaut is a sixteenth century wine estate bought by Lucien Lurton in 1979. His daughter Sophie took over in 1992. Very well made modern wines here. Especially impressive whites and increasingly sophisticated reds. Hasn’t put a foot wrong between 2009-2015.

Vineyards/Terroir: 47 hectares [6 hectares white varieties] on gravel and clay-sand alluvium, above a limestone bedrock. 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Malbec for the red and 50% Sémillon and 50% Sauvignon for the white [vines one hundred years old].

Winemaking/Elévage: Red wine gets 12 to 20 months in oak barrels, 50% of which are new. White gets twelve months in oak, 50% new.

Tasting notes:

White

  • 2015 Pale silver/gold; fuller; waxy style with full aromatics; classic Bouscaut; great body on the palate; worked and almost fat but I love the depth here and the texture; will be excellent. Tasted UGCB 7/6/16. Drink 2019-2027. 91-93+
  • 2014 Pale silver; lots of oak and oyster shell notes; some grapefruit tones; substantial and weighty; bold palate; slightly worked style but with attractive body & mouthfeel; length on the finish. Good effort in a bold Bouscaut style. [57% Sauvignon Blanc, 43% Sémillon]. Drink 2017-2025. Tasted UGCB 1 April, 2015. 91-93+
  • 2013 Pale green/gold; steely; some oyster shell; quite elegant and crisp on the palate; good length at end. More vital and crisper than usual. Elegant. [60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon]. UGCB April 2014. Drink 2016-2022. 88-90
  • 2012 Pale grey/gold; attractive complex aromatics with nicely integrated oak; cashew, spices and grapefruit tones in a bold but nicely knit together style; big-ish palate; weighty with some style; crispness with good acid; suave on the finish with saline touch. I really like Bouscaut whites, year in, year out and this 2012 is very attractive indeed. Drink now – 2020. 93+ Oct ’14 UGC [Earlier note] Pale straw; very oaky, oyster shell with lots of grapefruit tones and citrus notes; very rich and big; waxy and full palate; lots of weight and some style in an upfront way. Good length and impressive effort. 53% Sauvignon Blanc, 47% Sémillon, 90-92 UGC Weds April 10, 2013. Drink 2016-2025
  • 2011 Very pale straw; fine and taut; wonderfully composed nose; citrus notes, limes and oak but nicely restrained and interwoven; attractive weight on the palate, though it remains quite taut. Obvious depth and potential. Real length too. Bouscaut’s whites is one of Pessac-Leognan’s best value, serious whites. Drink now – 2021 91+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Pale gold/straw; some barrique influence, oyster shell, wax and citrus tones; lees; big grapefruity palate; lees and barrique notes; nicely worked. Real zip and life on the finish. Great wine, lively zip. 90-92 Drink 2018-2025
  • 2010 Deepish gold; full oak and oyster shell on the nose; limes and grapefruit too; very attractive; almost sweet/sour notes; full palate but still with zest; moreish; oak nicely integrated. Mid-weight overall. Good length. Excellent effort 91+ [Earlier] Pale straw; toasty oaky nose, very warm; grapefruit and ripe with some zing; grapefruit on the palate less oak here, some lees notes; pretty good. Lowish acid. 88-90/100 [50% Sauvignon Blanc, 50% Sémillon – fermented in oak, half new] Tasted 6 April 2011 UGC Drink now – 2025+
  • 2009 Pale straw/some green; deep; barrique influence, some oyster shell, developing well and attractive; palate taut but will open up . Good full style but not at all flabby. Needs a couple of years more to round out. 90/100 [Earlier] Very pale straw; some wax here; some smoke; fresh and attractive; palate attractive and round with MLF and barrel notes. Very good 90+/100 [50% Sémillon, 50% Sauvignon – 40% barrel fermented, one third new]. Tasted 31st March 2010. Drink now – 2020+
  • 2008 Pale gold; quite forward with waxy Semillon notes; nice waxy palate with grapefruit and citrus tones; real race and lift here. Good 88+/100 UGC Oct‘10. Drink now – 2018

Red

  • 2015 Deep colour; little reductive initially; stalky; blackcurrants; cherry and sweet fruits; ripe cassis note too; blackcurrants on the palate; soft style. Will be ab attractive red. [56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 6% Malbec]. Tasted UGCB 7/4/16. Drink 2020-2032. 90-92+
  • 2014 Deep and saturated look; ripe and creamy blackcurrants; chocolate and black cherry; quite taut palate; tight ball of fruit and acidity; sappy finish with some chew. [62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Malbec]. Drink 2019-2029. Tasted 1 April, 2015. 88-90
  • 2013 Deep and saturated looking; dark purple edge; quite full; enticing blackcurrant notes; full, fleshy and creamy palate nicely done. Attractive and full overall. [55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot]. Tasted UGCB April 2014. Drink 2018-2025. 88-90
  • 2012 Mid depth; ripe, creamy attractive fruit on the nose [almost reminiscent to SHL]; lovely and open; rich palate with soft, plush Merlot tones and attractive Cabernet. Very nicely done red. Really showing well. [48% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec]. Drink now – 2025. 92+ Oct ’14 UGC [Earlier note] Deep and saturated colour; vibrant at edge; attractive ripe nose; lush and layered; some smoke and plumy notes; attractive palate with fruit as well as oak influence showing in mocha tones but there is plenty of blackcurrant, spices. Very good effort. 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Malbec. 89-91+ UGC Weds April 10, 2013. Drink 2018-2025+
  • 2011 Deep and saturated look; lifted, creamy blackcurrant nose with some oak resin and mocha tones; creamy blackcurrants and plum tones on the palate; grip and chew at the end. Works well for the vintage. Good effort. Drink 2015-2021. 88+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated looking; some bitter chocolate, blackcurrants and black cherry notes; some stalky Cab influences on the palate with some riper notes but lots of dry tannin on the finish. This needs to settle and tannin will always be there. 86-87+ Drink 2020-2025
  • 2010 Deep and saturated look; deep at core; chocolate; firm and full; oak resin; very intense; black fruits emerge in aeration; spices too; structured palate with lots of depth and density; nice chew; chunky and satisfying; quite chewy and lots going on; tannins polished at the end. Lot to this Bouscaut. Excellent if longer term than usual. 2017-2030. 93+ MW Institute Nov ’14 [Earlier note] Glossy black red; creamy blackcurrant tons; some earth; enticing; soft entry, creamy with some wood influence, spices and earthy blackcurrants. Structure and grip come a moment later but plenty of material here. Chewy finish. Good effort. Needs a couple of years. 90+ UGC Oct ’12 [Earlier] Deep and arterial; little dumb but depth; some earth and coffee, strawberry notes later revealed; ripe palate; lush and forward; plush with lots of ripeness; bite towards the end but tannins nicely handled. Very good. 90-92/100 Tasted 6 April 2011 UGC Drink 2016-2025+
  • 2009 Deep and saturated; toast, plums, spices, pretty deep and saturated; some earth; big and saturated palate; thick and deep; very ripe and fleshy with toasty finish and some chew to the tannins. Saturated style but plenty of joy. Needs a few years to settle. Drink 2016-2030. 92+ MW Institute Nov ’13 [Earlier note] Healthy red-purple; earthy; pretty nose; lovely violets here; attractive; some coffee bean at the back; compact but intense; good; palate similarly clean and fresh with precise flavours here, some blackcurrants and mocha on the finish. Grippy too. Very good. Tannins ripe and round. 88-90+/100 Tasted 31st March 2010. Drink now – 2025+
  • 2008 Mid depth; polished look; mineral tones, some resin and cassis, later with chocolate; red fruits on the palate; quite dense and inky; ripe flavours and purity here but good structure beneath. Good wine. 90 Drink now –  2020 MW Institute Nov ’12.
  • 2007 Mid red; some earthy tones; some cream, mineral and solidity; not fantastic and alluring; sofish; easy palate, not huge character; some spice and earth but pretty light 84/100 Drink now – 2017 MW Institute Nov ’11.

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