Review: Gaia, Cabernet Franc

Last week, I posted a review of the Maquis, Cabernet Franc from Chile. In that review, I noted how I don’t come across Cabernet Franc as often as some other varieties. Ironically, here I am a week later with another Cabernet Franc review. This one is also from South America, but a little further east in Gualtallary, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Argentina.

Much like the Cabernet Franc I reviewed last week, I was wowed by this one. The fact that both of these wines come from South America has me curious about finding even more Cabernet Franc from these countries to see if they’ve got the magic touch with this variety.

This wine is produced by Domaine Bousquet, a producer I’ve written about quite a bit over the past few years for their organic wine production. This one, like all their wines, is made from organic grapes. One of the things that enables Domaine Bousquet to grow grapes organically is their location in Gualtallary, one of the highest regions in Mendoza where grapes can be grown. The altitude and dry conditions here make it easier to grow with organic techniques.

The sandy soil also contributes to their success with organic viticulture. This region doesn’t get very much rainfall and the sandy soil drains really well when it does rain. This does a couple things that improve the quality of the grapes. The drainage prevents the growth of unwanted fungi by removing excess moisture from the soil. It also forces the roots of the vines to grow deeper and deeper in order to find water. Those deep roots extract minerals from the soil, which influences the character of the wines. The dryness and low fertility of the soil also stresses the vines in a way that results in concentrated flavors in the grapes — good for producing flavorful wines.

In this video, Domaine Bousquet’s Chief Agronomist, Franco Bastias, goes below the surface to show the characteristics of their soil. He literally dug a pit next to some of his vines in order to show the underground workings of the vines. How cool is that?!

Tasting Notes

Black pepper, blackberry, vanilla and bramble aromatics make the nose of this wine downright exciting! Once the wine hits your lips it doesn’t disappoint. Rich blackberry, black currant, black pepper and dark chocolate flavors fill your mouth with goodness. Gripping tannins give a nice texture to the mouthfeel. The acidity is good. It finishes long with blackberry and dark chocolate flavors.

Wine: Gaia, Cabernet Franc
Varieties: 100% Cabernet Franc
Vintage: 2018
Alcohol: 15%
Rating: 90
Average price: $20.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.