Domaine Bousquet Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Sauvignon Blanc is an interesting grape variety because it’s expression is so distinctly different depending on where it’s grown. This is true of all grape varieties to some extent. After all, that’s why you hear so many wine producers talk about terroir. But in my opinion, this is much more pronounced when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc.

While you could go down a rabbit hole with all the different nuances of Sauvignon Blanc from different regions, the ones I come across most often are:

• Loire Valley, France: These tend to be elegant wines with a nice balance of fruit, herbal and mineral characteristics. The fruit often has characteristics of peach and grapefruit.
• New Zealand: These tend to have intense aromatics with strong vegetal characteristics (e.g., cut grass, green pepper, etc.) and tropical fruit.
• California: I think of these as neutral Sauvignon Blanc, offering citrus, melon and peach fruit characteristics that can be somewhat muted compared to other regions.
• Chile: I’ve long heralded Chilean Sauvignon Blanc as hitting the sweet spot for my preferences. They typically have intense tropical fruit characteristics, amazing acidity and saline minerality.

The Sauvignon Blanc I’m reviewing today, however, isn’t from any of those regions. It comes from Mendoza, Argentina, which is a region from which I haven’t tasted much Sauvignon Blanc. More specifically, this wine comes from Gualtallary, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Argentina. I wonder what this terroir does for Sauvignon Blanc.

The Terroir

I suppose you say terroir is more than just location. It’s a combination of the soil, climate, sun exposure, vineyard management practices and winemaking practices that are common of a region.

The location here is a high altitude, cool climate region. The producers at Domaine Bousquet farm their land organically and are working toward biodynamic operations. The soil is mostly sandy with organic materials near the surface. In the video below, Domaine Bousquet’s Chief Agronomist, Franco Bastias talks about the soil in these vineyards.

Bastias also says the Sauvignon Blanc clone they planted here is one that grows vigorously. This is beneficial for them because there is a lot of sun exposure here and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are susceptible to sunburn. The vigorous growth of the vines allows the agronomists to create a leaf canopy that protects the grapes from the sun.

Tasting Notes

In comparison to other regions, this Sauvignon Blanc is relatively similar to those from Chile, northwest of this region.

The aromatics offer plenty of complexity with fragrances like lime, grapefruit, apple, dried grasses and herbs. Tropical fruit becomes much more prominent on the palate, where it reveals pineapple, grapefruit, lime and granny smith apples. It has a pleasant mouthfeel and good acidity. It finishes relatively long with tart tropical fruit flavors and salinity.

Wine: Domaine Bousquet, Sauvignon Blanc
Varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2021
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 88
Average price: $13.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.

Previous vintage: 2019 Domaine Bousquet Sauvignon Blanc