TUPUNGATO, ARGENTINA, DEC. 2018 – Domaine Bousquet, Argentina’s premier name in wines made from organic grapes, is adding a Cabernet Sauvignon to its top-tier varietal line, which has also been renamed. Domaine Bousquet’s former “Grande Reserve” label will now be known by the punchier, easy-to-remember “Gran” moniker, emphasizing the more authentic use of the Spanish word for “grand.” Not so coincidentally, the existing range, comprising a Chardonnay (SRP $20) and Malbec (SRP $25), will be joined by the debut release of a 2017 Gran Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $25).
Owner Anne Bousquet notes that “Adding Cabernet Sauvignon to the line is a natural line extension, especially considering our French-Argentine heritage and winemaking sensibility. The cool, dry 2017 vintage is one of the best in the last 20 years, yielding a small harvest of concentrated, but fresh fruit.”
Making naturally elegant wines that please both New- and Old-World palates has been a hallmark of this highly successful winery in the vaunted Tupungato sub-region of Mendoza’s Uco Valley. Domaine Bousquet released its first vintage in 2005 and today sells over 100,000 cases of wine annually in the U.S. alone.
The “Gran” wines feature Domaine Bousquet’s best grapes from the “home” vineyard – the original vineyard planted in the late 1990s by winery founder Jean Bousquet. Thanks to its 4,000 -foot altitude, impressive diurnal temperature swings, sandy soil, low fertility, good drainage and lack of salinity issues, this terroir yields grapes that are the last to be harvested. The extra hang-time ensures heightened richness and body.
Domaine Bousquet’s new Gran Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 consists of 100% organically-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, each cluster and grape carefully selected by hand at the end of April. A 15-day fermentation in small, 10,000 liter-steel tanks is followed by 30 days of maceration, malolactic fermentation and aging in French oak for 12 months. The result is a naturally elegant wine that combines Old World elegance and New World exuberance. Pronounced red and black fruit aromas on the nose open up to fig, raisin and black pepper notes on the full-bodied palate.
The Gran Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 will be available in major markets nationwide, starting late-November 2018. Domaine Bousquet wines are imported by WISD Importing, Miami.
- Domaine Bousquet Gran Cabernet Sauvignon, SRP $25
- Domaine Bousquet Gran Chardonnay, SRP $20
- Domaine Bousquet Gran Malbec, SRP $25
Domaine Bousquet: Located in Gualtallary, a sub-zone of Tupungato, in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, Domaine Bousquet was created on virgin land by French-born pioneer Jean Bousquet in 1997. Today, the award-winning winery, run by daughter Anne Bousquet and husband Labid al Ameri, is Argentina’s largest exporter of wines made from organic grapes. All wines are made from 100% organic fruit grown at a cool 4,000-foot-high altitude and crafted with a French winemaking sensibility.
