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| Mountains and Bousquet Vineyards. Credit: Creative Palate |
The spark that this project dates back to 1990, when a Frenchman and third-generation winemaker Jean Bousquet visited Argentina and fell in love with it. Specifically with Uco Valley’s Alto Gualtallary zone at an altitude of about 4,125 feet. This is a high, arid, remote, scrappy area where winemakers struggle but achieve some amazing results. He took a gamble on some land in this desolate area, and it paid off.
Domaine Bousquet now farms more than 600 acres of vines and has a wide range of options available in terms of grapes, blends, styles, and price points. But across the board, we’re dealing with serious quality and value. The estate is now owned and operated by husband/wife duo Labid al Ameri and Anne Bousquet, and recently kicked off a full transition to fully biodynamic farming. Mendoza native Rodrigo Serrano crafts the wines here, joining in 2018 after stints at a lot of players in the broader region.
Their entry-level wines deliver so much personality and Mendoza mystique for very little cash ($13 a bottle). On the top tier of their lineup are the Ameri wines, which debuted in 2011 but are only made in certain vintages. These wines are sourced from single vineyards in Gualtallary and have a deep, stony minerality and an electric verve. They’re deep, tangy, expressions of their terroir, aged 12 months in French oak. They’re age-worthy, but still pack a ton of value.
If I had a burger bistro or a steak frites place, I would insist one of these wines be on that bottle list – and maybe another Bousquet Malbec red for my by-the-glass list. I’m pretty darn sure if people tasted these, they’d agree.
And if you haven’t tried Bousquet’s wines, they are widely available in the U.S. We’re their top market. And for $37, the Ameri wines are so reasonable, so you can always start there.
These wines were received as samples and tasted sighted.
2020 Domaine Bousquet Malbec Single Vineyard “Ameri” - Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Tupungato, Gualtallary
SRP: $ 37
Deep purple. A warm, inviting, deep nose of cassis, juicy black cherries, tangy blueberries, laced with complexities of sage, tilled soil, dried rose and violet petals, anise cookie – lovely. The palate is plush and juicy with that crisp, high-elevation acidity that keeps things so focused, and moderate tannins provide support. I love the crunchy plums, tangy blueberries, and deep, plush black cherry fruit. Suave and fun but complex and built very well, with nuances of graphite, coffee grounds, chewing tobacco, some pine tar, and hints of oak. Ready to drink now but will cellar well for five years or so, too. (91 points)
2020 Domaine Bousquet Red Blend Single Vineyard “Ameri” - Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Tupungato, Gualtallary
SRP: $37
Dark purple color. Lovely aromatic display of plums, black cherries, and cranberry relish, along with a savory-spicy host of tobacco, eucalyptus, dried violets, clove, some leather, and coffee grounds too. The palate sports crisp acidity which keeps this wine refreshing and moving forward, while smooth tannins provide moderate structure. Crunchy dark plums, juicy black cherries, and tangy cassis, the fruit is matched well with complex tones of tobacco, mint, violets, coffee, with some graphite and minerals. I love the tangy, spicy, herbal vibes, this is fresh and fun but complex as well and a great value. 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Syrah. (91 points)