Domaine Bousquet Virgen Malbec 2024, Mendoza, Organic, No Added Sulphites

Virgen is Domaine Bousquet’s range of organic wines made with no added sulphites. This Malbec comes from the family’s vineyards in Gualtallary, Tupungato, high in Mendoza’s Uco Valley at around 1,200 metres, where sandy, free-draining soils and very low rainfall suit organic farming. The grapes are hand-harvested and handled gently in the winery, and the wine is made without oak, keeping the focus firmly on pure, fresh fruit. It is certified organic and vegan. As with all wines, small amounts of naturally occurring sulphites are still present.

Domaine Bousquet Virgen Malbec is deep violet in the glass, with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, cassis and a hint of violets and pepper. The palate is supple and juicy, with crunchy dark fruit, lively acidity and soft, silky tannins, leading to a fresh, gently spiced finish.

Enjoy it with pasta in a tomato sauce, pizza, burgers, grilled sausages or a midweek stew. It is lovely served slightly cool at around 14–16°C. Without added sulphites it is made to be drunk young, so enjoy it within a year or two of the vintage and keep bottles somewhere cool.

Domaine Bousquet is a family winery with French roots and an Argentine home. Jean Bousquet, from a winemaking family near Carcassonne in southern France, fell for Mendoza on a visit in 1990 and in 1997 bought wild, unplanted land in Gualtallary, high in the Uco Valley at around 1,200 metres. Organic farming has been used since the first vines went in. His daughter Anne Bousquet and her husband Labid Al Ameri now run the estate. The entire production is certified organic, the vineyards and winery are farmed biodynamically, and Domaine Bousquet holds Regenerative Organic Certification and B Corp status. Sunshine, cool mountain nights and stony, free-draining soils give the wines ripe fruit with natural freshness.