Review: Domaine Bousquet, Virgen, Malbec
As demand for organically-produced foods continues to grow in this country, it only makes sense that interest in organic wines also grows. But it’s not as easy to find organic wines as you would think. A lot of producers will make wine made from organically-grown grapes but the wine itself cannot be classified as organic if sulfites have been added, which is done for a number of reasons in the production process, such as to stop fermentation or as a preservative.
Domaine Bousquet has been producing wines from organically-grown grapes for several years and is Argentina’s largest exporter of organically grown wines, but just last year they released their first USDA-organic certified wine with no sulfites added, the Virgen Red Blend. That wine was so well received, Domaine Bousquet added two more USDA-organic certified wines to their portfolio this year and this Malbec is one of them.
Although no sulfites are added to this wine, that doesn’t mean it’s sulfite free. Sulfites occur naturally within grapes, which means there are still some sulfites in the wine. However, without sulfites added, the level of sulfites will be lower than it otherwise would. The USDA-organic certification also means the grapes used must be certified organic, any yeast added must be certified organic and no prohibited additives can be used in the winemaking process.
While you might think the extra effort to gain organic certification would make the wine more expensive, this wine sells for an incredibly reasonable price, just $13. And, it’s delicious.
The aromas are intense and rich on this wine, with big blackberry, black cherry and blueberry fruit intertwined with herbaceous and soft floral notes. There’s nothing subtle about this wine on the palate either, it delivers dense blackberry and black cherry flavors with a really nice tartness and lively acidity. There’s a slight tannic astringency to add texture to the mouthfeel. This wine totally coats your tongue too, resulting in a long finish where the black cherry flavors really stand out.
Wine: Domaine Bousquet, Virgen, Malbec
Varieties: Malbec
Vintage: 2019
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 86
Average price: $13.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
What others are saying about this wine:
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SUMMARYThe aromas are intense and rich on this wine, with big blackberry, black cherry and blueberry fruit intertwined with herbaceous and soft floral notes. There's nothing subtle about this wine on the palate either, it delivers dense blackberry and black cherry flavors with a really nice tartness and lively acidity. There's a slight tannic astringency to add texture to the mouthfeel. This wine totally coats your tongue too, resulting in a long finish where the black cherry flavors really stand out. |
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