foodwineclick

Domaine Bousquet – A French Family in Argentina?
The Bousquet winemaking family was originally established at a property in Carcassonne in the south of France. In 1990, third generation vigneron Jean Bousquet visited the Tupungato high altitude region in Mendoza, Argentina with an idea of establishing vineyards and a winery. At that time, the area was wild and due to its’ altitude was considered too cold for grape cultivation. There were no vineyards, no above-ground water, no electricity, only 1 dirt road. Jean was so convinced, he purchased the land in 1997 and even sold the family property in France! They planted vines, dug water retention ponds, and established the winery. Domaine Bousquet released their first wines in 2002. Jean’s daughter, Anne, and her husband, Abid Al Amiri, joined in the operation in 2005 (Abid) and 2009 (Anne) and today they run the business. The winery has grown and currently produces over 4 million liters of organic wine from 240 hectares of vineyards.

Sustainaibility Leadership at Domaine Bousquet
From the beginning, sustainability has been a central focus at Domaine Bousquet. The high altitude climate in Argentina was one of the factors that drew Jean to Tupungato. From planting, the vineyards have been managed and certified organic, but they didn’t stop there. They embraced biodynamic practices with several of their vineyards carrying Demeter biodynamic certification. Most recently, Domaine Bousquet earned Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC), one of the most complete sustainability certifications in the world. They are the first winery in Argentina and only the fourth winery worldwide to achieve certification. ROC has wide ranging requirements, covering soil health and land management, animal welfare, and equity between farmers and workers. They are a certified B Corp, and recently have engaged with five other Argentine wineries to adapt the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) carbon lifecycle calculator to Argentina. All of these actions are outlined in detail in Domaine Bousquet’s 2023 Sustainability Report.

Organic Wines can be Affordable and Delicious
I discovered Domaine Bousquet several years ago and was impressed with their organic approach as well as the French influence in their winemaking compared to many Argentine wineries at the time. I was happy to receive a set of Domaine Bousquet’s most affordable wines this spring. Domaine Bousquet’s most affordable wines demonstrate that organic wines need not be more expensive and they can deliver authentic interpretation of the grape varieties they farm. Over the last few months I’ve had the opportunity to try them with a variety of foods, you can see I was favorably impressed!

Disclaimer: The wines for this post were provided as samples. No other compensation was involved, all opinions expressed are mine.

Domaine Bousquet Unoaked Chardonnay Tupungato Uco Valley, Argentina 2023 ($13 SRP) 13% abv
Mix of estate and purchased grapes, vineyards are Ecocert organic certified, vegan friendly.
Eye: Medium lemon
Nose: Medium intensity aromas of lemon, lemon peel, just ripe peach, crushed stones,
Mouth: Dry, refreshing high acidity buffered by medium body with a silky texture. Medium alcohol, medium flavor intensity, medium minus finish. On the palate, lemons with more intense peach.
Observations: A very nice effort at an easily affordable price point, and perfect with our pastrami and sauerkraut dinner.

Domaine Bousquet Sauvignon Blanc Tupungato Uco Valley, Argentina 2023 ($13 SRP) 12.5% abv
Made with organic grapes, vineyards are Ecocert certified, “vegan friendly”
Eye: pale lemon
Nose: medium intensity aromas of apple blossom, green apple, lemon, lime, wet stones
Mouth: Dry, refreshing medium plus acidity, medium minus body, medium alcohol, medium intensity flavors, medium finish. Flavors follow the nose with lemon, lime and wet stones.
Observations: Very nice weekday wine, refreshing and delicious with our pan-fried walleye dinner. This Sauvignon Blanc is more in the lemon and flint style as opposed to the over-the-top grass/grapefruit style.

Domaine Bousquest Malbec Tupungato Uco Valley, Argentina 2023 ($13 SRP) 13.5%abv
Certified organic grapes, fermented and aged in stainless steel
Eye: Medium purple
Nose: Medium plus intensity aromas of elderflower, fresh blueberries, blackberries, blueberry pie filling, a hint of green stems, chocolate
Mouth: Dry, medium plus acidity, medium fine-grained sandy tannins, medium body, medium alcohol, medium plus flavor intensity, medium finish. Flavors follow the aromas with primarily blue fruit.
Observations: Avoiding oak flavors, the character of the malbec grapes showed nicely with refreshing acidity, blue/black fruits. Perfect for a spring evening enjoyed with hamburgers on the grill.

Domaine Bousquet Cabernet Sauvignon Tupungato Uco Valley, Argentina 2022 ($13 SRP) 14%abv
Certified organic grapes, fermented and aged in stainless steel to emphasize fruit character
Eye: Deep ruby
Nose: Medium plus aromas of violets, ripe blueberries, blackberries, black plums, smoke, chocolate and a hint of green pepper
Mouth: Dry, medium plus acidity, medium plus fine grained tannins, full body, high alcohol, medium plus flavor intensity, medium finish. Flavors follow the aromas.
Observations: Very nice fruit-forward rendition of Cabernet Sauvignon. A great choice for everyday dinners where a red wine is desired. We enjoyed the wine with beef and vegetable kebabs. The beef was in a slightly spicy middle eastern marinade.