Domaine Bousquet
Elegant and comforting wines to warm up with this winter
Some evenings call for comfort. A simple, warm, and filling dinner with a bottle of wine that wraps you up like a blanket. I advocate for wrapping in a real blanket also, perhaps curling up with a significant other, a pet, or a good book or movie.
I have a wine or two to recommend when you have one of these evenings.
I received these bottles as samples and was invited to a webinar with Anne Bousquet and her winemaker, Rodrigo Serrano. This was an opportunity to taste a wide range of their wines.
(You’ll find articles on some of the other wines we tasted at the end of this article)
This was an excellent opportunity to learn about the winery directly from the owner and the winemaker.
These wines were received as media samples. All opinions are our own.
Anne Bousquet & Domaine Bousquet
Anne Bousquet and her husband are Co-owners of Domaine Bousquet. They took over from her father, who began the winery when he retired.
They have a 9-bedroom hotel at the winery, and Anne joined us from the balcony of her room there. She is based in Miami but spends one week each month at the winery in Mendoza, Argentina.
Her father arrived in the region in the late 1990s. He found this property, which was virgin land here in the Tupungato Valley. At that time, the wineries and vineyards were located near Mendoza in Lujan de Cuyo. This property is an hour further out, sitting at the foot of the Andes at high altitude.
Domaine Bousquet has always cared for the land and the soil, and they began this project by farming organically. They came from vineyards in Carcassonne in Languedoc, France. The rains there prevented them from being organic at the time, and they wanted to be able to do that now, in this drier climate.
So they planted and farmed organically, and in 2005, when they exported their first wine, they were already certified.
They have been certified organic for over 25 years and were the first winery outside the US to be Regenerative Organic Certified. They are the #1 Organic and Biodynamic Winery in Argentina and are within the country’s top 10 largest exporting wineries.
Their short-term goal is to reduce their carbon footprint and to further conserve water. This includes composting through their biodynamic and regenerative methods, which reduces carbon and builds the soil to better conserve water.
Rodrigo Serrano, Domaine Bousquet, COO and head winemaker
Rodrigo joined them 5 years ago and was new to organic at the time. Today, he serves as their head winemaker and the COO and is an integral part of leading in organic viticulture by example.
Rodrigo walked us through a tasting, which included 2 of the wines I will speak about today.
Domaine Bousquet Gran-Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
The grapes for this wine come from Parcels 1 and 2. These are some of the first vines that they planted. The vineyard has constant breezes from the Andes to keep the fruit healthy and create night-time shifts to cooler temperatures. This diurnal shift allows the grapes to slowly ripen, retaining their acidity.
Harvest happens in April here in the Southern Hemisphere, and these grapes are the last to be harvested, creating rich, full wines.
This wine is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 15% Malbec to smooth the wine and make it more approachable. It ages 10 months in French Oak.
SRP $20 – 15% abv
This wine is rich and smooth and, I believe I mentioned before, feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket. It is perfect for taking the edge off a chilly evening.
While it would be delicious with steak or lamb, we curled up with bowls of lasagna quite happily.
While it is rich with red and black fruit, it also has lifted notes of mint and eucalyptus, aromas of tobacco, and hints of cocoa powder.
Other Red wines from Domaine Bousquet
Virgen no-sulfite-added wines
You might also try a couple of the wines from their Virgen line. These wines are USDA Organic Certified and have no sulfites added.
Sulfites naturally occur in wine in small amounts, but typically, sulfites are also added to wine. This provides protection from spoiling during the winemaking process. These wines, to avoid the need for sulfites are made completely in stainless steel and retain their fresh fruit notes.
You can’t beat this price point for a weeknight wine!
Virgen Red Blend 2021
We enjoyed this earlier this year. The line of Virgen wines goes beyond organic. These wines are also no-sulfur and vegan. Rodrigo said this was challenging, but now, without the sulfur, you can taste the purity of fruit.
This wine blends 35% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. They began with the Red Blend in 2018 and now have a Malbec, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Chardonnay in this line. (The Malbec is also delicious)
This wine has notes of tomato leaf, pepper, and fresh fruit and retails at just $13.
Virgen Malbec 2021
This wine is 100% Malbec and is, as they say, “unadorned.” No sulfites, but also no oak. This wine is redolent with fresh, ripe blackberries and raspberries.
This wine is excellent with burgers (what we did) or just about anything on the grill.
14% abv – SRP $13
Virgen Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, you find mineral notes and deep black current, with just enough tannins to stand up to a burger.
14% abv – SRP $13
I encourage you to stay warm and cozy and do it with delicious wines from a company that cares for the planet.
Other articles on wines from Domaine Bousquet
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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