Behind the Cork™ - Wines of Domaine Bousquet, Part 2

Embraced for their freshness, vibrant aromatics and fruit-forward qualities, wines from Tupungato Valley in Mendoza’s Uco Valley have become “must-haves” for Argentine connoisseurs. Domaine Bousquet, an early pioneer in this high-altitude sub-region of the Uco Valley of Argentina, stands out for its singular reliance on eco-friendly organic fruit. And their prices are extremely competitive!

All three of these wines are made from organic grapes and are Vegan friendly.

2018 Domaine Bosquet Gran Malbec ($25)

This Gran Malbec undergoes cold maceration at 10°C for 72 hours to 96 hours. Fermentation then occurs with selected yeast at a temperature between 25°C and 28°C for 12 days. It then undergoes 100% Malolactic conversion before being aged in French oak for 10 months.

This is a full-bodied wine with bold dark fruit flavors, easy tannin and a chocolaty finish.

2018 Gaia Cabernet Franc ($20)

This is a medium-bodied wine that is cold macerated for 72 hours. Fermentation occurs with selected yeast at a maximum temperature of 27°C for 12 days before being aged in French oak between 8 and 10 months.

This Cabernet Franc exhibits nice red fruit flavors and the classic peppery hints. It has nice tannins, moderate acidity and an easy finish.

2019 Domaine Bosquet Cabernet Sauvignon ($13)

This is a medium-bodied wine that is fermented for 15 days with select yeast at a maximum temperature between 25° C and 27° C.

This Cabernet Sauvignon has nice dark fruit flavors, moderate tannin and medium acidity that finishes with nice lingering fruit flavors.

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Creative Palate Communications

Fermentation Vessels Can Affect the Flavors of a Wine

In a recent blog, I listed some of the many factors that can affect a wine’s flavors. One of the factors is the type of vessel chosen by the winemaker to ferment the wine. So, let’s take a closer look.

The three most common fermentation vessels are made of either oak, stainless steel or concrete. Each of these can affect the flavor of the wine due to the degree to which the wine is exposed to oxygen.

Fermentation in Oak 
Oak fermentation barrels allow for the gradual influx of oxygen which helps to softened tannins and acid while developing a ‘rounder’ more balanced wine. Oak itself also imparts flavors. French oak is known to yield more subtle flavors like clove and spice to a wine while creating a silkier, smoother mouthfeel, while American oak typically imparts aromas of vanilla and coconut. And, the degree to which these flavors are imparted varies by the level of ‘toast’ created on the barrel during its production. So, for instance, a barrel with a ‘medium’ toast will impart less flavors than a barrel with a heavy toast. Finally, once an oak barrel has been used three to four times, the majority of the flavors have been extracted and it becomes a ‘neutral’ barrel that imparts little to no flavors.

Fermentation in Stainless Steel

Unlike oak, stainless steel fermentation vessels can be tightly sealed so as to allow little to no oxygen exposure of the wine during the fermentation process. And, a winemaker may fill the top of the tank (the headspace) with inert gas to drive out all of the oxygen. This makes for brighter, fresher fruit-forward wines. The stainless steel imparts no flavor characteristics to the wine. Stainless steel tanks are also used because they offer optimal refrigeration capabilities when a winemaker wants to cold-ferment the wine.

Fermentation in Concrete

Concrete-type vessels have been used to ferment wine for as long as wine has been made. Concrete tanks can be open for oxygen exposure, or sealed like stainless steel to avoid oxygen. The concrete itself is quite neutral so it doesn’t impart significant flavors like oak, but it can add mineral-like flavors to the wine.

Behind the Cork™ - Wines of Domaine Bousquet, Part 1

Embraced for their freshness, vibrant aromatics and fruit-forward qualities, wines from Tupungato Valley in Mendoza’s Uco Valley have become “must-haves” for Argentine connoisseurs. Domaine Bousquet, an early pioneer in this high-altitude sub-region of the Uco Valley of Argentina, stands out for its singular reliance on eco-friendly organic fruit. And their prices are extremely competitive!

At Domaine Bousquet, they have two paths of former rivers running through their property. These riverbeds, lined with alluvial deposits from the mountain sand seismic debris, are rockier than the plain sand areas. The characteristics of sandy soil are magnified in this rocky soil.

The Domaine Bousquet wines are:

Organic: The dry, low-humidity soil eliminates the need for pesticides and other chemicals to prevent disease, making organic farming easier. And, the dreaded phylloxera louse cannot survive in sandy soil!

Elegant: The harder the soil, the heavier and more powerful the wine. The lighter the soil, the more elegant the wine. The ability to produce elegant wines was so important from the start that Domaine Bousquet’s tagline is “Naturally Elegant Wines.”

Aromatic: Thanks to the sandy soil, the grapes thrive in an area with big differences between day/night temperatures, allowing the grapes to retain acidity and terpenes, those volatile compounds that result in wonderful aromas.

Complex: With riverbed and non-riverbed fruit available, the winemaker has more options, a bigger palate from which to blend.

All three of these wines are made from organic grapes and Vegan friendly:

2021 Domaine Bousquet Sauvignon Blanc ($13)

This grapes for this wine were harvested the first two weeks of February, underwent cold maceration for 24 hours and were fermented for 15 days.

It is medium-yellow in color with bright aromas of citrus and green apple. At 12.5% ABV, it’s light and refreshing with medium acidity and a soft finish.

2019 Domaine Bousquet Reserve Chardonnay ($18)

This wine is made from 100% Chardonnay that are grown by the foothills of the Andes at an altitude of 4000 feet. This high altitude yields cool nights that preserves the fresh fruit flavors and acidity in the grapes. This Reserve Chardonnay is fermented in oak for 15 days and then aged six months in oak and lees.

It’s deep gold in color with aromas of pear and baked apple. Although it’s fermented and aged in oak, the oak influence is restrained resulting in a medium-bodied Chardonnay with fruit flavors that are not too bright and not overly oaked - just right.

2019 Domaine Bousquet Reserve Pinot Noir ($18)

This wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes that are manual harvested, undergo cold maceration for 72 hours and then fermented for 15 days. It is aged for six to eight months in French oak.

It is pale ruby in color with subtle red-fruit aromas. It has the characteristic cranberry flavor with a bit of black cherry and a round finish.

These are fine examples of affordability and attainability wines that fit right in with the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week theme. Check further details at the Domaine Bousquet website and keep an eye out for them. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Creative Palate Communications

Ever Wonder? How Does Temperature Affect Wine Fermentation

There’s a lot of chemistry that goes into making wine. And we learn from basic chemistry that heat is a catalyst. When heat is applied to a chemical reaction, it speeds things up. So, temperature plays a role in the fermentation of wine.

The higher the fermentation temperature the faster the yeast will convert the grape’s natural sugars to alcohol. But, winemaking is a slow process. From the growing of the grapes to the aging of the wine. And, fermentation is no exception. Winemakers don’t want to rush this process. So, they actually take steps to cool-down, the thus slow-down, the fermentation process.

If a wine is fermented at too high a temperature, it can lack character as well as remove any terroir that the winemaker was hoping to capture. By fermenting a lower temperatures, a winemaker preserves the fruit flavors and helps preserve the subtle elements that terroir can add.

Red wines are typically fermented between 70 and 85 degrees F (20-30 degrees C). This temperature range results is richer colors, good tannin levels and richer fruit flavors. Fermentation temperatures that approach 90 degrees F can result in “cooked” flavors making the wine taste stewed, prune-like or raisin-y.

White wines are typically fermented even cooler than red wines at temperatures between 45 and 60 degrees F (7-16 degrees C). This helps preserve a white wine’s bright fruit aromas and flavors while providing balanced acidity levels.

Behind the Cork™ - Wines of Chile Sustainability, Part 3

This is the third of three Behind the Cork™ features highlighting Chilean wines that collectively underline Chile’s historic commitment to sustainable wine growing. Their focus on sustainability includes environmental, social, and economic.

The first posting included a Cabernet Franc and a Cabernet Sauvignon. The second posting featured a red blend and a Carmenere.

Here are two more excellent examples of high-quality, affordable and sustainable wines coming from Chile.

2019 Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva ($20)

Farmed since 1874 in Isla de Maipo, Chile’s traditional vinous heart, this estate is known for its diversity of soils that enable it to successfully grow an array of grapes. This five-grape variety wine (31% Cabernet Franc, 26% Syrah, 22% Carmenere, 11% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) are organically grown. It spent 12 months aging in American and French oak. It has upfront notes of wild herbs, flowers, ripe black fruit along with subtle vegetal notes from the Cabernet Franc and lavender and violet notes from the Merlot.

Sustainability Pillar: Planting more than 11,000 native trees and shrubs to restore the natural environmental balance and reconnect the biological corridors between the Altos de Cantillana mountains and the River Maipo through the estate’s 5,000 acres of vineyards.

2019 Viu Mament Secreto de Viu Manent Malbec ($15)

Family-owned since 1935, Colchagua Valley-based Viu Manent is one of the most respected wineries in Chile. The family has fun with the line of “Secreto” wines – a stated grape variety with a “secret blend” (15%) of other grapes. The Malbec grapes come from 19 year-old vines. Fresh and fruity, the final blend offers a mix of red berries and violets on the palate.

Sustainability Pillar: Installation of four solar plants that generate 460 kilowatts at peak, implementation of a biodiversity protection program as Central Chile is home to more than 50% of the various species of floral and vertebrates in the country, and recycling (such as using old barrels in promotions or by local artists).

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Creative Palate Communications