Review: Natural Origins Malbec

Over the years, I’ve reviewed a number of wines from Argentine producer Domaine Bousquet. I like what they’re doing — not only producing good wine at reasonable prices, but doing so sustainably.

Economic, social and environmental factors are all part of sustainability. When it comes to environmental sustainability, Domaine Bousquet farms organically. Their vineyards in Tupungato Uco Valley are located in a region that lends itself well to organic grape growing, thanks to a dry, high altitude climate. And this Malbec was produced using organically farmed grapes, which is something I don’t think I’ve seen often in boxed wines.

But organic farming is just one aspect of environmental sustainability. Another way to boost the environmental friendliness of a wine can be through the packaging. While bottles are a great vessel for wine and contribute to a pleasant tactile experience, they’re heavy. The weight of bottles adds up, increasing the carbon footprint of wine distribution. Alternative packaging, like bag-in-box, can significantly reduce the per bottle weight of wine, thus reducing the carbon footprint required to ship the wine.

Don’t judge a wine by it’s container, unless you’re judging the carbon footprint of the wine. A lot of wine snobs sneer at boxed wine. However, the bag-in-box is just a vessel and it is perfectly capable of containing delicious wine. However, bag-in-box is not good for aging wines. It’s only good for wines meant to be consumed shortly after purchase.

That brings us to the Natural Origins brand from Domaine Bousquet, packaged using bag-in-box. These are sold as non-vintage wines, meaning there is no date listed on the packaging. While I generally prefer to know the vintage of a wine, given the fact that these wines are meant for immediate consumption it’s not a big deal that they are sold as non-vintage. I was told the juice in the wine I tasted was from the 2019 harvest.

Black cherry is the most prominent aroma from this wine, but there’s more than that going on. It also reveals some prune, licorice, nutmeg and cedar aromatics. The flavors are fairly fruit forward and a touch jammy, but it’s not a “fruit bomb,” as in it’s not too sweet and fruity. It offers black cherry, blackberry and tart, wild cherry flavors. The acidity is sufficient to give vibrancy to the wine. The mouthfeel is surprisingly rich for a boxed wine — not that the bag-in-box vessel can’t deliver wine with a silky mouthfeel, but wine of this quality isn’t often sold in this packaging. The finish is long, with blackberry flavors lingering on and on.

I wouldn’t call this an elegant wine, but it is a good everyday wine and would go well with burgers or pizza. And the price is outstanding at $20 for a 3 liter box, which is equivalent to $5 per bottle!

Wine: Domaine Bousquet, Natural Origins, Malbec
Varieties: 100% Malbec
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 141%
Rating: 86
Average price: $20.00 for 3 liter box
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.

What others are saying about Natural Origins Malbec:

• Wine Casual
• Laurie Daniel on Wine
• Washington Post
• DrinkHacker

Get more info about this wine on Wine Searcher.