Good, Better, Best Malbecs

Ever wondered what you get for spending extra on your bottles of wine?

Then try these three superb Malbec wines which go from £10.75 to £13.95 to £19.75 per bottle. Why not do your own test on Good, Better, Best?

Featuring two bottles of each of the Malbecs from Domaine Bousquet. Their ‘Premium’, ‘Reserve’ and top-level ‘Gran’ Malbecs are great examples of what you get as you spend a bit more. The wines are all made at Domaine Bousquet in Tupungato, in the Andean foothills outside of Mendoza. The grapes are sorted according to quality, and fewer bottles are made of the more expensive wines. This accounts for some of the cost increase, but there are other factors such as oak- and bottle-ageing that will affect the price. The Premium Malbec has no oak contact and four months bottle-ageing. The Reserve is in French oak for six months, and a further six months in bottle. The Gran Malbec uses the best grapes from the most mature vines and sees twelve months in new French oak barrels and a minimum of twelve more months in bottle.

It’s only you who will know if a higher spend is worth, and you’ll certainly realise what extra you are getting if you try and compare these wines.

The Bousquet family originally arrived from Carcassonne, in the South of France and can proudly claim to have four generations of experience in the winemaking tradition. Their first foray to Mendoza was in 1990 with the aim of understanding the unique nature of the climate, soils and topography of this imposing, impressive upland region but it was not until 1997 that the family made their first purchase of land and re-located from France. This first 110 hectare parcel is located in the Gualtallary valley in Tupungato, Mendoza at an altitude of 1200 metres (4,000 feet), making it one of the higher altitude vineyards in Mendoza and the world. The cool nights and a near constant breeze emphasise the idyllic climatic/terroir conditions that these vines enjoy. In total, the Bousquet estate comprises 240 hectares of vines, all in Tupungato. Another unique characteristic of the region is the low amount of rainfall (approximately 20cm a year). This allows Domaine Bousquet to control the amount of water given to the grapes via a drip irrigation system. This same water is also bottled and sold locally as one of Argentina’s most popular bottled waters - which demonstrates just how pure and clean it is. Soils, in the main, are sandy with excellent drainage. Grapes are harvested by hand. Grown in such ideal conditions, it allows the fruit to attain an optimum maturity without having to use pesticides or any other chemical products. Only natural ferttilizers such as compost are used. Domaine Bousquet are able, therefore, to produce high quality, healthy organically grown grapes which in turn become high quality organic wines. A pure, natural expression of the Tupungato region. To improve the land's biodiversity is a key Bousquet aim. By nourishing the land and treating it with respect, the vines will give back in turn its finest fruit. With roots that penetrate deep into the soil absorbing trace minerals, the vines yield up a fruit that is a pure, authentic expression of its origins. As in the vineyards, so too in the cellar - respecting the delicacy of the fruit with gentle handling is the guiding principle in the cellar. Meticulous care and sensitivity throughout the winemaking ensures that the natural flavours express themselves to the full once poured from the bottle to the glass. 

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