The story of a winery
Château Bouscaut, whose vineyards date back to the 17th Century is a Classed Growth of the
Graves Appellation for both red and white wines. The commune of Cadaujac is home to Bouscaut, situated on the highest zone at 32m in altitude. The vineyard is located on an outcrop facing due south. The château itself, a charming 18th century stately home in the Chartreuse style stands in the shade of the centuries-old oak trees and overlooks the vineyard.
Lucien Lurton, born into a long line of passionate wine makers, and himself owner of numerous classed growths, especially in the Medoc, bought Château Bouscaut in 1979. His daughter, Sophie
Lurton took over the reins of the domain in 1992. Laurent Cogombles, her husband has worked alongside her since 1997. An agricultural graduate.
In tandem they are planning to transform the set-up at Bouscaut after having already started a massive restructuring of the vineyards; in 2010 a 400m2 barrel cellar was built and the old buildings were renovated. The new cellar is covered in staves and this is symbolic ofthe owners’ philosophy: integration and respect.
«The fruits of the earth and the hand of Man»
Bouscaut’s terroir is mainly composed of clay on a calcareous base, and of gravel . Beyond the
terroir and vintage equations, wine is deeply affected by the people that contribute to its creation;
working the soils, using environmentally friendly products and the equipment make all the
difference. But not as much as the work of the Bouscaut team: training to either simple or double
Guyot, removing shoots, lifting and attaching new shoots, trimming or green harvest for example,
are all determinant in the quality of the grapes during the harvest.
This hands-on work to ensure top quality . The yield reaches barely more than 45hl/ha. In the cellar
the try has to be converted at all costs: concrete or stainless steel tanks, French oak barrels,
anaerobic work, checking on each tank and each barrel, care and precision like bâtonnage in the
barrels for the white wines, right up until the blending which reflects the work and taste of those
who make the wine from a terroir.
The specifics of Bouscaut
Currently 9 hectares of the vineyard iare planted with white vines. Made up of 45% sémillon which
thrives on our soils ( One block of Semillon is over a hundred years old and produces wonderful
grapes) our white shows fattiness, delicate character and length of the finish as well as longevity.
The Sauvignon Blanc (55%) meanwhile, provides the freshness and aromatic expression. The
terroir expresses itself through minerality. Our reds on 28 hectares are composed of a slightly lower
proportion of Merlot (42%) which loves clay and limestone and gives fullness and smoothness to
our wines. Add to that a hint of Malbec (7%) giving peppery, spicy character, and the structure,
length and elegance provided by Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) and 1% of Petit Verdot and you have
Bouscaut.