Domaine Bousquet, Argentina’s leading organic winery, has launched its “Gaia Malbec” into the U.K. The wine pays tribute to the Ancient Greek Earth Goddess, Gaia – who features on the label – and acknowledges the fundamental role the earth plays in winemaking. Gaia Malbec 2019 was listed in Waitrose at £16.99 at the end of 2022.
Gaia has been an inspiration from the very beginnings of Domaine Bousquet, when French winemaker Jean Bousquet began his exploration of the unchartered territory of Alta Gualtallary back in 1997; he was the very first to consider this remote, desert terroir as perfect for viticulture. In September 2021, Domaine Bousquet opened The Gaia Lodge, a seven-bedroom boutique hotel, which has been built adjacent to the winery, overlooking the vineyards and with a stunning view of The Andes. The Gaia Lodge is a natural extension to the Gaia restaurant, which opened in 2014. Both restaurant and lodge are run along sustainable lines, as is the winery, with the majority of the food sourced from the organic kitchen garden, including the herbs for its signature Chimichurri.
Domaine Bousquet has been a pioneer of organic viticulture in Argentina since its inception in 1997 and has been certified organic since 2001. The grapes for Gaia Malbec are 100% estate grown and sourced from the high altitude Gualtallary Valley in Tupungato, a sub-region of Mendoza’s Uco Valley. The fruit is harvested by hand and the wine aged in French oak for 10 months.
