Review: Gaia Malbec Nouveau

I was intrigued when I first saw the name of this wine, Malbec Nouveau. The “Nouveau” part of the name, I assume, is an homage to Beaujolais Nouveau — which is a French wine released each fall as a first release of wine from that vintage. Nouveau translates to mean “new” in English. In the case of Beaujolais Nouveau, it’s a reference to the new vintage and it’s arguable that wine released that early has not fully developed. But that’s definitely not the case with this Malbec Nouveau.

Another unique feature of Beaujolai Nouveau is that it’s fermented using a process called carbonic maceration. That is something this Malbec Nouveau does have in common.

Carbonic maceration is a process in which the grapes are placed into a fermentation tank, stems and all, and the oxygen is removed from the tank, creating an environment that’s high in carbon dioxide. The grapes begin to ferment from the inside out, using natural yeasts that are already present on the grapes. As the grapes ferment, the cell structure of the grapes start to break down and that, combined with the weight of the grapes in the tank, causes juices to be released from the grapes. Those juices also begin to ferment.

This process typically results in lighter wines, with a lot of fresh fruit characteristics. The Gaia Malbec Nouveau, however is not a light wine. It is rich and complex. It does express plenty of fresh fruit characteristics though, as you’d expect from a carbonic maceration wine.

After carbonic maceration, the grapes for this Malbec Nouveau are pressed to fully separate the juice from the solids.  That juice is then fermented a second time, using a yeast introduced by the winemaker.

The result is a wine that reflects much of what you would expect from a Malbec, but also has a unique expression. A nouveau expression, if you will.

This wine is produced by Domaine Bousquet, a producer known for producing wines with exceptional value and also known for their extensive commitment to sustainability. The grapes used to produce this wine are 100% organic.

Tasting Notes

The nose of this wine is quite nice and complex, offering floral and herbal notes alongside plum and cherry aromas. There’s a hint of black pepper too, adding some spice to the aromatics. The palate is also very nice, delivering rich black cherry, blackberry and plum flavors up front, followed by Earl Grey tea flavors, including a touch of bitterness, in the mid-palate and finish. The acidity adds a crisp characteristic, but it’s not overpowering. It’s a nicely balanced wine and a good one to explore how the flavors evolve on your palate.

Wine: Gaia Malbec Nouveau
Varieties: 100% Malbec
Vintage: 2022
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 88
Average price: $20
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.