Review: Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rosé

It’s been several weeks since I’ve posted any wine reviews, because life happened. I recently had shoulder surgery, which left me with one working arm. While I could have typed up a review, it would have been slow and frustrating to type with one hand. So, I took a little break to recover. Now, I once again have two hands to type with, so let’s get back at it! And what better way to celebrate the return of my functional hands than with a sparkling wine!

If you’ve been a reader here for long, you may already know that I’m a firm believer that sparkling wine isn’t just for special occasions but it should be enjoyed any day. That said, a special occasion is a great time for a sparkling wine too!

Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rosé

Over the years, I’ve reviewed many wines from Domaine Bousquet and for good reason. For as long as I’ve known about them, they have been producing reliably good wine at very reasonable prices and doing so with sustainable practices. While many producers claim to do things sustainably, Domaine Bousquet puts their money where their mouth is and have earned numerous certifications to verify they’re following sustainable practices.

One of the certifications they earned in the past year is called Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC). They are one of only a handful of wine producers in the world to have earned this certification. I mention this certification in particular because it’s one I think is really important. ROC practices are not only organic, but they are restorative — improving soil health and literally storing carbon in the soil, which is our best chance to reverse global warming. Knowing what I know about ROC has changed my purchasing habits and I seek out producers following these practices so that I can support them and encourage other farmers to embrace these methods.

While I admire their sustainability practices, it’s also important to me that the wine tastes amazing. In that regard, Domaine Bousquet also delivers!

Production Method

This Sparking Rosé is produced from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, using the charmat production method. Charmat is a process in which the secondary fermentation (i.e., the one that carbonates the wine, adding bubbles) is done in bulk in a stainless steel tank. This is opposed to the traditional method where secondary fermentation happens in the bottle. The charmat method is less production-intensive and therefore is a less expensive process, hence making this wine more affordable than it would be had they used the traditional method.

I generally prefer the traditional method because I have found that the texture and overall bubbliness is typically better in those wines, but this Sparking Rosé proves me wrong. The bubble quality in this wine is everything I would expect from a sparking wine made in the traditional method.

Tasting Notes

The aromas from this wine are well-balanced and beautiful, offering lemon, raspberry, orange peel and mineral notes. On the palate it’s fantastic, delivering lemon, raspberry and saline mineral flavors with bright acidity and plenty of bubbles. The mouthfeel is nice and creamy, thanks to those bubbles. It finishes relatively long, with tart citrus and salty mineral flavors.

Wine: Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rosé
Varieties: 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 90
Average price: $13
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.