People often ask me what my favorite wine is. And that’s an impossible question for me to answer succinctly. I don’t have a singular favorite. I’ve tasted many wines that have wowed me in the moment and I have several “go to” wines of different varieties. But not one single wine I can identify as my “favorite.”
When I’m answering that question I inevitably state that my preference tends to be “old world” wines. That doesn’t mean I’m opposed to new world wines, it’s just a preference. The difference, at a high level, is that I find typical old world wines tend to be more balanced, elegant and less “in your face,” while new world wines tend to be a bit more bold. But sometimes I find wines I would expect to be new world that pleasantly surprise me with an old world twist.
That best of both worlds quality is what I’ve found in the Gaia blends from Domaine Bousquet, in Argentina.
A couple weeks ago I wrote about the Gaia Red Blend. I was so impressed with it, I had to follow up with a review of the Gaia Tupungato White Blend. I was equally impressed with the white.
I shared part of the story of Domaine Bousquet in that previous post, but I didn’t share the fact that although it’s a fairly young vineyard and winery, it’s already in its second generation of ownership. Jean Bousquet’s daughter, Anne, and her husband Labid Al Ameri, began to invest in the winery back in 2002 — before the first vintage (2005) was produced. The couple assumed full ownership of the winery in 2011. They have been drivers of the sustainability vision of the winery.
Their Gaia, Tupuntago White Blend is very much a dry white wine and similar to the Gaia red, struck me as more old world style than new world. To me, this is a good thing.
Honeysuckle, banana, peach and wet stone mineral aromas give this wine a wonderful nose. The palate delivers a really nice balance of earthy mineral flavors and fruit, offering flavors like granny smith apple, white peach and salty minerals. The acidity is good and bright. The mouthfeel is nice. If finishes with lingering green apple and salt flavors.
Wine: Domaine Bousquet, Gaia, Tupungato White Blend
Varieties: 50% chardonnay, 35% pinot gris, 15% sauvignon blanc
Vintage: 2016
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 90
Price: $18.00
Disclosure: This wine was provided as a media sample.
