Domaine Bousquet Reserve Malbec 2025, Gualtallary, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Organic

The Domaine Bousquet Reserve Malbec comes from the best plots of the family’s estate in Gualtallary, in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, where the vines grow at around 1,200 metres on stony, alluvial and chalky soils. Big swings between hot days and cold nights slow ripening and keep the grapes’ natural acidity. Hand-harvested fruit is cold-soaked, fermented and given an extended maceration, and around half the wine is then aged for about six months in large, used French oak barrels while the rest matures in steel and concrete. A little Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah is usually blended in to add depth.

Domaine Bousquet Reserve Malbec is rich and juicy, with aromas of plum, blackberry and wild berries and a subtle touch of oak spice. The palate is smooth and well structured, with ripe dark fruit, vibrant acidity and a long, savoury finish.

This is a natural match for steak, grilled beef ribs, lamb chops or a barbecue, and it is also good with mushroom dishes and hard cheeses. Serve at around 18°C. It is drinking well on release and will keep for around 4–6 years.

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.