1. CÔTES DE BOURG

2. CHÂTEAU DU BOUSQUET CÔTES DE BOURG
Château du Bousquet is located in Bourg-sur-Gironde opposite the Médoc, and separated from it by the Gironde estuary.

3. CHÂTEAU DU BOUSQUET CÔTES DE BOURG TREMENDOUS APPEAL
Timeless charm and strong family bonds
An outstanding location for a vineyard: sloping ground with diverse expressions of terroir and traditional varietal plantings
A unique Côtes appellation, widely recognized by the French consumer, and keen to retain its identity
A historic Côtes de Bourg wine, one of the most popular in France

4. CHÂTEAU DU BOUSQUET CÔTES DE BOURG HISTORY
A stone-built residence dating back to the 17th century, acquired by the Castel family in 1960.
The name comes from the word bousquet or bousque, derived from the term for forest or woodland.
The Château’s 17th century dovecote has become a symbol of the estate. Two further dovecotes, both underground were used in the 18th century as ice houses, and remain in excellent condition.

5. CHÂTEAU DU BOUSQUET CÔTES DE BOURG VINEYARDS
Area: gently undulating 65 hectare vineyard
Planting density: 7,000 vines per hectare
Soils: The vineyard is made up of two separate slopes,
One of chalky clay
The other of sandy clay
Varietal mix:
70 % Merlot
20 % Cabernet Sauvignon
7% Malbec
3% Cabernet Franc
Accreditation: Terra Vitis accredited since 2013

6. CHÂTEAU DU BOUSQUET CÔTES DE BOURG PEOPLE ANTOINE DE OLIVEIRA
JULIEN BELLE
Winemaking consultant
Since the vintage. Julien is an associate member of Oenoteam Consultants in St Emilion, where he looks after several Right Bank crus classés including Cheval Blanc.
ANTOINE DE OLIVEIRA
Director
He has been Bousquet’s Director since His aim is to express the tremendous diversity of this terroir, using it as a palette of scents and flavours.

7. CHÂTEAU DU BOUSQUET CÔTES DE BOURG BEST RATINGS 2011 2013 2014
Gold Medal
Concours des grands vins de France Macon
Silver Medal
Vinalies Internationales
Silver Medal
Concours d’Aquitaine
Silver Medal
Concours d’Aquitaine
Silver Medal
Challenge International du vin
Silver Medal
Vinalies Internationales

8. Winemaking Consultant
CHÂTEAU DU BOUSQUET
CÔTES DE BOURG
VINTAGE 2012
TO SERVE
HARVEST DATES
Merlots: From October 8th
Malbec: From October 11th
Cabernet Franc: From October 15th
Cabernet-Sauvignons: From October 16th
End of Harvest: October 25th
BLEND
70% Merlot
20 % Cabernet-Sauvignon
5% Cabernet Franc
5% Malbec
OUR EXPERT SAY
« For the 2012 vintage, we were looking for the very best ripeness we could get – and that’s why we went a little beyond the theoretical harvest dates. This is a pleasing vintage; production has been well-balanced, with no overload of fruit on the vine. We have also been careful to avoid over-extraction, which could remove the charming edge of rusticity found in Côtes de Bourg wines. »
CLIMATE
A late vintage.
Spring was cold and rainy, calling for vigilance to detect potential fungal diseases.
July was chilly, but August was hot with occasional heatwaves.
September 21st saw the arrival of more rainfall.
Cumulative precipitation was below average for this appellation (793mm compared with 944mm).
17 °C
4 - 6 years
13 % vol
1 ½ hours
TASTING NOTES
Ruby colour with scarlet highlights
The nose is typical for a wine from this property, enhancing the powerful aromas of black fruit and vanilla.
Powerful and full of character on the palate, showing perfect balance. A clean attack. Tannins are well-structured and lead to a persistent finish.
Julien Belle
Winemaking Consultant
Antoine De Oliviera
Director

9. Winemaking Consultant
CHÂTEAU DU BOUSQUET
CÔTES DE BOURG
VINTAGE 2013
TO SERVE
CLIMATE
Cumulative annual rainfall was higher than the 30-year average.
Autumn and the start of winter were particularly cold and rainy.
The beginning of April seemed more like a continuation of winter – low temperatures and 35mm of rain.
The rain stopped in mid-April, just in time to allow for bud-break; but there was still little sign of spring.
May and June were humid, with 32 days of rain (compared to the seasonal norm of 19 days) and were the coldest since 1984 – and this was flowering season!
Summer finally arrived in July. The weather was hot and dry - some 2–3½° above the norm - giving rise to some violent storms and causing shoots to continue growing even around the time of veraison.
August was much calmer with summery conditions.
September and October were mild and humid, causing widespread development of grey mould.
HARVEST DATES
Merlot: October 1st – 7th
Cabernet-Sauvignon: October 10th-12th
Cabernet Franc: October 7th
Malbec: October
BLEND
80% Merlot
10 % Cabernet-Sauvignon
5% Cabernet Franc
5% Malbec
OUR EXPERT SAY
« A difficult vintage leaves no room for mistakes and demands scrupulous attention to detail. The very identity of Château du Bousquet wines is linked to its expressive flavours and precise tannins, so 2013 gave us a chance to start introducing the meticulous processes we eventually want to have in place. Our technical skills have helped us to develop a gentle way to add oaky flavours to enhance the wine, and to give uniformity and good balance. »
17 °C
3 - 5 years
13 % vol
1 hour
TASTING NOTES
The 2014 vintage shows a ruby red colour with glimmers of dark crimson.
The nose is typical for wines from this estate, with powerful scents of black fruit and vanilla, and a warm hint of toast.
Dense and full of character on the palate with perfect balance. Nicely crafted tannins lead to a good, persistent finish.
Julien Belle
Winemaking Consultant
Antoine De Oliviera
Director

10. Winemaking Consultant
CHÂTEAU DU BOUSQUET
CÔTES DE BOURG
VINTAGE 2014
GARDE ET SERVICE
CLIMATOLOGIE
This year was divided into two very distinct ‘seasons’: the growing season which got off to a dank, cold start, and the hot, sunny weather that followed at the end of summer and beginning of autumn. These sharply contrasting conditions have shaped the character of 2014’s wines.
Cool temperatures inhibited shoot growth; growth was particularly slow in April and May as both months were cold and damp.
As the weather warmed up the vines began to grow more rapidly, notably from June 10th onwards. June remained warm and sunny.
Temperatures fell again in July, and growth slowed once more.
There was little rainfall as grapes ripened.
September and October’s weather was exceptionally dry and sunny, apart from a storm in the first week of September which brought 50mm of rain.
DATES DES VENDANGES
Merlot: 24th September – 2nd October
Cabernet-Sauvignon: 7th and 8th October
Cabernet Franc: 2nd October
Malbec: 24th and 25th September
L’ASSEMBLAGE
75% Merlot
20% Cabernet-Sauvignon
5% Malbec
L’AVIS DES TECHNICIENS
« 2014 was one of those vintages where everything just seemed to balance perfectly. Expressive fruit, good body, a modern feel, excellent texture, juicy, thirst-quenching ripeness and a pleasingly assured, appealing tannic structure. »
17 °C
4 - 6 years
13 % vol
1 hour
NOTES DE DEGUSTATION
The 2014 vintage shows a ruby red colour with glimmers of dark crimson.
The nose is typical for wines from this estate, with powerful scents of black fruit and vanilla, and a warm hint of toast.
Dense and full of character on the palate with perfect balance. Nicely crafted tannins lead to a good, persistent finish.
Julien Belle
Winemaking Consultant
Antoine De Oliviera
Director