Review: Domaine Bousquet Gran Organic Cabernet Sauvignon

A good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon can be pricey. You can easily spend $35, $50, $80 or more for a single bottle. But you don’t need to spend that much to have a great bottle of wine. This Gran Organic Cabernet Sauvignon from Domain Bousquet has a suggested retail price of $18 and I would argue that it’s just as good, or better, than some Cabernet Sauvignon that sells for four times this price!

Are you skeptical? I will admit that even though I’ve written about bargains like this for over 15 years, I too get skeptical about the idea that an $18 Cabernet Sauvignon could possibly be as good as one that sells for four times as much. But this bottle has proven my skepticism wrong.

Another thought, sparked by my skepticism when presented by an amazingly good, yet reasonably priced wine, is that the producers must have cut some corners to keep the costs down. But I know that’s not the case with Domaine Bousquet. The grapes are grown using organic farming practices, as verified by their Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) status. The vineyard workers are equitably paid, as verified by both their ROC and B Corp certifications.

This is a producer that does the right thing, because they believe in doing the right thing. That means I get to not only feel good about getting a bargain on a bottle of wine, but I also get to feel good about supporting a producer that is doing good things!

I’ve written about Domain Bousquet many, many times and it’s a brand I generally trust to produce wine with a good quality-to-price ratio. But this one is a noticeable step up for them. It’s not just a good wine, it’s a great wine! And it’s still only $18!

The Gran Bousquet Line

Like many wine producers, Domaine Bousquet has several different lines or brands of wine within their portfolio. This one is from their Gran Bousquet line, which is one of their premium lines. Wines in this line are produced using what they consider to be the best grapes from the original vineyard plantings on their property. These are also the last grapes to be harvested on their property, ensuring full ripeness that results in rich wines with full body.

Tasting Notes

The nose is very fragrant, offering cassis, blackberry, plum, tobacco, chocolate and toasted oak aromas. On the palate it’s absolutely delicious, offering rich blackberry, cassis, chocolate and earl grey tea flavors. The mouthfeel is luxuriously smooth and velvety. A rich mouthfeel like this is one of the big differences that distinguishes a great wine from a good one. The acidity is spot on, adding a vibrancy to the flavors. The finish is long with dark fruit and tea-like tannin flavors.

Wine: Domaine Bousquet Gran Organic Cabernet Sauvignon
Varieties: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec
Vintage: 2020
Alcohol: 15%
Rating: 93
Average price: $18
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.