Bouquet
/buːˈkeɪ/
In wine, “bouquet” refers to the complex, often subtle set of aromas that develop as a wine matures, especially during bottle aging, distinct from the more straightforward, grape-derived primary aromas. In technical usage, it mainly denotes tertiary, age-related scents—such as dried fruit, leather, earth, or honey—that signal evolution and complexity in the wine.
Examples
- The sommelier noted that the 20-year-old Bordeaux had a beautifully developed bouquet of cedar, cigar box, dried cassis, and forest floor.
- As the Barolo sat in the glass, its bouquet opened up from muted fruit to layered aromas of dried roses, tar, truffle, and underbrush.
- The educator explained that the young Riesling showed vivid primary aromas of lime and green apple, while the older vintage displayed a mature bouquet of petrol, honey, and dried apricot.
Etymology
“Bouquet” is borrowed from French, where it literally means “bunch” or “cluster,” especially a bunch of flowers, and ultimately relates to Old French forms such as “bosquet” and “bosc” meaning a small wood or grove. In 18th–19th century French wine language, the term was applied metaphorically to the pleasant, flower-like fragrance of wine. English wine writers adopted “bouquet” in the 18th–19th centuries to describe the refined, complex aromatic character of well-aged wines, particularly fine Bordeaux and Burgundy, and over time a technical distinction emerged between “aroma” (youthful, grape-derived smells) and “bouquet” (mature, bottle-aged smells), even though everyday usage now often blurs that line.