Review: Domaine Bousquet, Méthode Traditionnelle Brut

I am a big fan of sparkling wine, bubbly, bubbles… whatever you prefer to call it. Just don’t call it Champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region of France.

Good bubbly is being produced in wine regions around the world. To me, sparkling wine is one of the most food friendly types of wine — at least when it’s dry or brut, as it’s called. When someone asks me to recommend a wine to them, I’ll almost always suggest something bubbly.

The bubbles I’m featuring today come from Argentina. More specifically, the Gualtallary, Tupungato region in Mendoza, Argentina. It comes from a producer whose wines I’ve frequently reviewed, Domaine Bousquet.

I have previously reviewed sparkling wine from Domaine Bousquet, such as this review of their Sparkling Rosé. But there’s something different about the wine I’m reviewing today: It was made using the Traditional Method for sparkling wines, a process in which final fermentation occurs in the bottle, which pressurizes the wine and results in the bubbles that make it a sparkling wine.

The Traditional Method differs from the Charmat Method, in which the wine is carbonated in large stainless steel tanks before final bottling. Both methods can produce good wines, although I generally prefer Traditional Method sparklers as the texture of the bubbles can be a touch more lively.

The downside to the Traditional Method is that it is more labor intensive and therefore typically costs a little more, but this particular wine is still reasonably priced with a suggested retail price of $18.

But that’s not all. Another thing that distinguishes Domaine Bousquet wines is that they are made from organic grapes. In fact, sustainability is a high priority for their owners and they’ve made significant investments into doing the right things over the years. One of the most significant, in my opinion, is becoming Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC). Domaine Bousquet is one of only a handful of wineries on the planet to do so!

And the wine is fantastic!

Tasting Notes

Lemon, floral and wet stone fragrances give this wine a very pleasant nose. The palate delivers green apple, lemon and saline flavors. It may make you pucker a bit at first, as the bright acidity is on the tart side. This would make it pair very well with oysters and other seafood. The mouthfeel is creamy and brimming with bubbles. It finishes long, with citrus and saline mineral flavors lingering.

Wine: Domaine Bousquet, Méthode Traditionnelle Brut
Varieties: 75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 91
Average price: $18
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.