Review: Domaine Bousquet, Reserve Malbec

If there’s a signature wine grape of Argentina, it has to be malbec. When wine lovers think of Argentina, they think of malbec… and when wine lovers think of malbec, they think of Argentina.

But malbec isn’t just an Argentine grape. It’s one of the six grapes allowed to be used in Bordeaux reds. Cahors, France is another region frequently associated with mablec. However, not all malbec is the same and that produced in France tends to have an “old world” style, while that produced in Argentina tends to be a more “new world” style. That is to say, Argentine malbec tends to be made with a more fruit-forward style than malbec from France.

Neither old world or new world styles are necessarily good or bad, but it’s likely you prefer one versus the other. I like both, but my preference tends to be old world, which I find to be more elegant.

Just because a malbec comes from Argentina, however, doesn’t necessarily mean it is made in a purely new world style. And that’s where we arrive at the Domaine Bousquet, Reserve Malbec.

This wine comes from Domaine Bousquet’s “Reserve” line of wines, which is made exclusively from grapes grown on their high altitude estate in Gualtallary Valley in Tupungato, Argentina from plots with lower yields. Those lower yields result in more concentrated flavors, tannin and structure in the wine, which give the wine more elegance.

The end result in this malbec is what I would describe as the best of both worlds (i.e., old and new). There’s a nice balance of fruity and earthy aromas on this wine, such as dusty bramble, black cherry, green pepper, blackberry and cedar. On the palate there’s plenty of black cherry, blackberry and spice flavors, and it’s not overly fruit forward. The acidity is perfect, providing brightness to the wine. The mouthfeel is nice too. It finishes with spiced black cherry flavors.

Wine: Domaine Bousquet, Reserve Malbec
Varieties: 85% Malbec, 5% Merlot, 5% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2018
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 87
Average price: $18.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.