Wines of the Week ~ Domaine Bousquet Gaia’s Red and White

PREFACE:

1. THE HEART OF THE DEAL ~ THE WINERY: info is coming from the company’s own statements
   1. 1. I can’t make up their history
      2. Nor am I to try
2. THE SCIENCE OF THE DEAL ~ WINEMAKING
3. THE SOUL OF THE DEAL ~ SAMPLE
   1. From: Domaine Bousquet Gaia

2015 Domaine Bousquet Gaia WHITE Blend

 

THE HEART OF THE DEAL:  

According to Greek mythology,
“Gaia,” is their Earth Goddess. Both wines (below) are blends; one white and one red, from Domaine Bousquet. This is a fully organic estate, located high in the Tupungato Mountains; Mendoza, Argentina. Domaine Bousquet produces excellent wines, with both French and Argentinian winemaking experts. The Tupungato region has exceptional terroir and ideal weather conditions to produce high quality wines from organic grapes. Proprietors Anne and Labid, and Anne’s father Jean Bousquet are a family wine affair, dedicated to working with Mother Nature, in the kindest way possible.

THE SCIENCE OF THE DEAL:

We are dedicated to farming organically while improving our land’s biodiversity. We believe that the healthier the vineyard, the better the fruit and of course the wine. In other words, by nourishing the land and treating it with respect, we know that the land will give us back its finest fruits. Organically grown vine roots penetrate deep into the soil where they absorb the trace minerals that help to give our wines their authentic regional taste. For this reason, organically grown grapes can express the purity, intensity and varietal character of the local terroir.

THE SOUL OF THE DEAL:

This Gaia White blend has familiar varieties: Chardonnay (50 percent), Pinot Gris (35 percent), and Sauvignon Blanc (15 percent). It’s very animated… In this case, it’s even hard to think of any art to represent the experience, beyond the label. It doesn’t get any better than the label’s “Gaia,” seriously. I was first really attracted to the label – yes, I also love art. I wanted to taste this wine that is depicted as someone I’d like to hang out with. Could it be as intriguing as this wine label’s representation of their Earth Goddess? Yes, indeed, as drippingly delicious as my Meyer lemons just picked from the tree. The aromatics of Meyer drifted from the glass, and was front and center, just like first thing in the morning in my home. The blend has a great balance of a grapefruit’s sweetness and acidity, and the finish is pleasantly clean, yet still mouthwatering. A great deliverance from the Earth Goddess, to be sure.

2013 Domaine Bousquet Gaia RED Blend

 

THE HEART OF THE DEAL: Please See Above

THE SCIENCE OF THE DEAL:

The blend for this wine is 50 percent Malbec, 45 percent Syrah, and five percent Cabernet Sauvignon. An interesting lead by Malbec. The grapes for this 2013 Domaine Bousquet’s Red Blend were harvested from their own vineyards in Tupungato, 4,000 feet above sea level. At that level of altitude, the soil type is gravel and sand. (Good drainage.) Grapes were manually harvested in the third week of April. Fermentation came from selected yeast, and had a maximum temp of 68° Fahrenheit for 45 days. The wine was then aged in 100 percent, French oak for 10 months.

THE SOUL OF THE DEAL:

This silky wine is also quite feminine wine. When it was opened and poured, opaque violet, almost black, color poured into a waiting vessel. No amount of back lighting was going to allow it to soften. It’s richly rich… Aromas of red and blackberries have many layers of a smooth roundness. When swirled and sipped, I experienced a really delicious red wine that has soft rounded tannins. The flavors followed closely with its engaging aromas. I wanted to grab a box of chocolates and repeatedly revisit the experience. The wine was here for a few days, and it WAS revisited again and again, until it just drifted into the sunset. Muy delicioso….