Certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, and sustainable, Domaine Bousquet’s duo of sparkling wines checks all the boxes for modern bubbly wine drinkers. With spruced up packaging for the holidays, these high altitude, elegant sparklers are affordably priced and widely available, representing the best of French winemaking paired with Argentinean terroir. At a SRP $13 a bottle, the wine can flow at all of your holiday parties, value priced to celebrate any day of the year.
Domaine Bousquet sparkling wines are produced from organically grown grapes nurtured in the high mountain vineyards of Argentina’s Uco Valley. The high altitude, intense sunlight, winds and sandy soils produce wines with bold fruit, excellent acidity, greater body, flavor and aromatics, and so their motto, “Naturally Elegant Wines” is proudly displayed on each label.
The winemaking expertise comes from the Bousquet family, who originally operated a winery in the South of France for three generations. With a desire to start a new chapter in their family brand of winemaking, Argentina beckoned to founder Jean Bousquet over 30 years ago, with it’s sunny wine-growing potential. Domaine Bousquet is a blend of Old World winemaking know-how and New World terroir, fruit forward wines that have great natural acidity from the Andean altitude.
In 2011, Bousquet handed over the reins to his daughter, Anne, and her husband, Labid Al Ameri. They reached out to renowned winemaker Paul Hobbs for advice on producing better wines. Building on the benefits of their terroir, inclusive of the 4,000 feet elevation, intense sunlight, sandy soils, and Andes groundwater, they farmed organically from the start. Gently processing the hand-picked fruit, after fermentation in a variety of vessels, the wines are aged in larger oak barrels for a lighter touch of oak influence. Then the parcels are blended for greater complexity.
Today, Domaine Bousquet is the largest exporter of organically grown wines, and leads the pack of Argentine organic sparkling wine. With more production, and an increase in US sales, Domaine Bousquet is working with nearby growers to slake the consumer’s thirst. Yet, the key is to remain true to their mission, to make quality wine that is organic, sustainable, and produced with respect for human and environmental rights. With a young winemaker at the helm, Rodrigo Serrano, who oversees 670 acres of vines, a portfolio of 30 different bottlings, and a 400,000 case production annually, Domaine Bousquet’s future is very bright.
Domaine Bousquet sparkling wines are produced by the Charmat method, a stainless steel tank fermention that yields a style more like Prosecco than Champagne. Charmat method wines preserve the fresh fruitiness of the still wine, but also include the secondary yeasty flavors. Domaine Bousquet’s sparkling wines command a good deal of elegance on the finish, equal to the initial pop of fruit on the first sip. And the bubbles keep coming, generally a sign of excellent winemaking.
The Domaine Bousquet Brut NV (SRP $13), 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, exhibits a delicate dance of fine bubbles, tinged with aromas of green apple and lemon zest. Fresh with flavors of green apple and a hint of tropical fruit and yeasty notes, the vibrant acidity makes for a very tasty sparkling wine, great as an aperitif or with seafood and Asian dishes.
The Domaine Bousquet Brut Rosé NV (SRP$18) is enchanting with its beautiful rich salmon color. A blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay, the bubble stream reveals aromas of red apple, raspberry, plum and blood orange, tinged with toasted bread notes. Vivid and refreshing, with red fruit and citrus flavors, it starts out fresh and finishes elegant. This is a zesty and bright sparkler, a good pairing with seafood dishes.