In England when someone is feeling ‘under the weather’, we take them a bunch of grapes. In France, its more often what the grapes are made into – in other words a bottle of wine, usually red. Many scientific studies have shown the benefits of a glass or two of good red wine, with anti-oxidants, resveratrol and procyanidins all cited as beneficial red wine compounds. Along with the other factor of benefitting your mental health, when consumed strictly in moderation.
Domaine Bousquet is an outstanding producer of Argentinian wines, with some of the highest ‘green’ credentials of any wine producer in the world. Located in Gualtallary, in the foothills of The Andes, the high-altitude vineyards give conditions that result in fully ripened grapes, with naturally retained acidity, resulting in wines with bright, rich fruit coupled with balanced freshness and complexity. Originally a winemaking family from Carcasonne in south-west France, the Bousquet family moved to Argentina in 1997, producing wines which combine generations of French knowhow with an exceptional terroir and climate.
Domaine Bousquet Ameri Organic Red Blend is not just ‘single vineyard’ but ‘specific cluster’ and is made only in exceptional years. At 4,125 feet it is the highest vineyard of the estate and is certified organic and biodynamic. Constant, intense sunlight and huge diurnal variation with low nighttime and high daytime temperatures result in fruit with high sugar levels yet balanced acidity and increased flavour and aromatic profiles.
Ameri is made from a blend of 60% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% each of Merlot and Syrah. The high percentage of Malbec attests to the Argentine heritage and the French origins of the Bousquet family, pioneers of these high-altitude vineyards in Mendoza’s Uco Valley. Aged in French oak for around 12 months and with 15% alcohol in the 2021 vintage, this is a full-bodied red that packs a punch. Rich, ripe and concentrated fruit with notes of black cherry, plum and blackberry. A touch of spice and leather on the nose, the palate has mellow, soft tannic structure with the oak beautifully integrated to give a long, satisfying finish to lift the spirits. Elegant and complex flagship wine of Domaine Bousquet, of which they should be rightly proud. Available at around £30 per bottle from independents such as Davy’s Wine Merchants (Vintages may vary).