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Point out Argentina and most wine lovers instantly consider strong, Malbec wines.
And why wouldn’t we? These luxurious pink wines style nice with steak, roasted hen and different hearty meals.
That’s one of many the explanation why I went to Argentina for 2 weeks 16 years in the past – to be taught extra about its wine and this excellent nation.
However there’s extra to Argentinean wines than ones made with Malbec grapes.
Just lately, I used to be blown away by two, distinct, natural pink wines from this excellent nation in South America.
One was a Cabernet Sauvignon.
The opposite was a Cabernet Franc.
Each got here from the identical, very good Argentinean vineyard – Domaine Bousquet’s Gaia Assortment.
Better of all, you possibly can typically discover these wines for lower than $20 a bottle. Hope you take pleasure in.
WINES RECOMMENDED THIS WEEK
2018 Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Franc ($20 Steered Retail Value)
2018 Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon ($20 SRP)
BRIEF HISTORY OF ARGENTINEAN WINE
The fifth largest wine producing nation on the earth, Argentineans have been making wine because the 1500s. Initially, although, wine manufacturing was comparatively small. Missionaries and early European settlers planted vines primarily in western Argentina close to the bottom of the Andes Mountains. Then within the late Eighteen Eighties, a railroad linking this a part of Argentina with Buenos Aires, permitting wine producers to move their wines to bigger, business areas. Initially, most wine made in Argentina was consumed domestically. Then in Nineteen Nineties, Argentinean wine makers started exporting extra wine worldwide.
COMMON ARGENTINEAN GRAPES
In current a long time, Malbec has grow to be the commonest wine grape in Argentina, making up about 38 p.c of all vines planted within the nation. Purple wines generally make up 60 p.c of wine manufacturing in Argentina. These days, you discover wines constituted of virtually any pink or white grape, together with:
RED WINE GRAPES
Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc
WHITE WINE GRAPES
Pedro Gimenez and Torrontes (two distinct, Argentinean white wine grapes) together with Muscat and extra conventional white wine grape varieties, together with Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.
ARGENTINEAN WINE REGIONS
Mendoza stays the guts and soul of Argentina wine manufacturing. This lovely wine area situated close to the foothills of the hovering Andes Mountains produces 60 p.c of Argentina’s wines. The following, largest wine areas in Argentina embrace San Juan and La Rioja, that are each situated within the northern a part of the nation.
MORE ABOUT DOMAINE BOUSQUET
French winemaker Jean Bousquet knew he needed to make wine in Argentina quickly after he vacationed there in 1990. He thought the excessive, arid terrain in Mendoza’s Uco Valley was “his dream terroir, an excellent location wherein to nurture organically-grown wines,” in line with Domaine Bousquet’s web site. Bousquet and his daughter, Anne, and his son-in-law, Labid Al Ameri, started buying land right here in 2002 and constructed the vineyard in 2005. The vineyard now produces about 1 million gallons of excellent, natural, inexpensive wine annually.
WINE TASTING NOTES
2018 Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Franc
Gaia refers back to the historical Greek goddess of the earth. The Gaia Assortment Cabernet Franc from Domaine Bousquet has a lightweight, gentle, refined style. There’s a slight trace of raspberry flavors however nothing candy or cloying. As a substitute, this delightfully dry wine has an austere, barely flinty end, particularly the second day after you first open the bottle. A very great pink wine.
2018 Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon
Let me begin by saying I beloved each wines for various causes. Whereas the Cabernet Franc was barely drier, the Cabernet Sauvignon has an extended, luxurious end. This wine can also be extra full bodied, has brighter, extra intense fruit flavors, together with a hints of recent cherry and dried blackberry. Let me add that its vibrant fruit flavors remained simply as vigorous and attention-grabbing the second day. One other dwelling run from considered one of Argentina’s finest wineries.
Cheers!
Wine Press by Ken Ross seems on Masslive.com each Monday and in The Republican’s weekend part each Thursday.
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