Tonnellerie Jean-Louis BOSSUET

Jean-Louis BOSSUET is a self-made man. In 1987, Jean-Louis took his skills as a forester and cooper and built Tonnellerie BOSSUET. Under the watchful eyes of both he and his wife Cristiane, the cooperage has grown a steady reputation for high-quality, cost-effective
Bordeaux barrels.

Located in St. Simon-de-Bordes between Bordeaux and Cognac, Tonnellerie BOSSUET sits on six hectares. The cooperage and stave mill are separated from Jean-Louis’s house by a large garden and man-made lake. With ducks flying in over-head, Jean-Louis has created a mini-ecosystem that benefits both the workers and the aging oak wine staves.

With an extensive background in forestry and his own log truck, Jean-Louis personally selects the standing oak he has bought at auction. The majority of his wood comes from haute futaie forests in central France and the Loire Valley.

Split fresh from BOSSUET’s mill (merranderie), raw oak staves are stacked in an open-chimney style next to the lake. In 2008, the aging park was expanded and lined with limestone to accommodate the cooperage’s export needs. After natural aging for two or three winters, the oak staves are planed, jointed, and crafted into barrels by eight coopers. Each cooper makes four to five barrels from start to finish every day. Output of the cooperage runs less than 40 barrels per day.

Specializing in thin-stave Bordeaux barrels, BOSSUET house toast uses
an extensive amount of water to achieve the desired colored and aroma.
The majority of Jean-Louis’s barrels are made with this house toast.
Production of Tonnellerie BOSSUET is limited:
8,500 barrels is the annual objective.