Domaine Bousquet Cabernet Sauvignon

Inflation. Everyone is talking about inflation. It’s true, many things have gotten more expensive over the past couple of years. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still deals to be found. Case in point: This Cabernet Sauvignon, made from organic grapes, which has a suggested retail price of a mere $13.

Ten years ago, before recent inflation woes, I would have said this wine is a great value at $13. Today, it’s an outstanding value. And, it’s absolutely delicious!

This wine is produced by Domaine Bousquet in the Tupungato, Uco Valley region in Argentina. This is an arid, high-altitude region with exceptional conditions for growing grapes organically. The folks at Domaine Bousquet have not only embraced organic production, but they are one of only a few vineyards in the world that are Regenerative Organic Certified — a certification that requires practices that not only preserve soil health but improve it. They have also been using biodynamic production practices over the past few years.

I’ve written about Domaine Bousquet quite a bit over the years for a few reasons: 1) they consistently produce good wine, 2) they have a strong commitment to sustainability and organic production, and 3) the value you get from their wine is outstanding.

Like most wineries, they have a broad portfolio with different wines at different price points. This particular wine comes from their “varietal” line of wines, which you could think of as the base model. These are wines at lower price points, but they still deliver high quality.

This wine is unoaked, which is a winemaking choice that enables winemakers to better showcase the fruit characteristics of the grape. It’s a practice that’s becoming more and more common, even with red wines. This not only results in a bright, fresh personality to the wine but it also helps keep the cost down. After all, wine barrels aren’t cheap.

Tasting Notes

The fruit shines on the nose of this wine, offering cherry, blackberry and black currant aromas. It also shows some spice characteristics, such as nutmeg and black pepper. The fruit is also quite nice on the palate, delivering ripe cherry, blackberry and black currant flavors with a touch of tartness and vibrant acidity. The mouthfeel is nice. The finish is fairly long, with lingering tart berry flavors along with subtle tannins adding a black tea quality to the finish.

Wine: Domaine Bousquet Cabernet Sauvignon
Varieties: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2022
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 90
Average price: $13
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.