Distinctive, site-specific, high-altitude Argentine wine. Oak-fermented at low temperature with no malolactic conversion. Aged eight months in barrel and six months in bottle before release. The result is a smooth, almost creamy wine that showcases sauv blanc’s versatility. $33–36
Grapes are certified organic—in line with all Domaine Bousquet efforts. They come from the Eva Estate, the highest altitude part of Gualtallary at 4,125 feet. Grapes harvested by hand in the early morning to preserve freshness. This is the first—and, so far, the only—white offering under Bousquet’s premier, single-vineyard Ameri label, which historically has been reserved for top reds.
Fermentation and aging in oak produces a sauv blanc markedly different from New Zealand and other mainstream examples, where sharpness, cutting acidity, grapefruit, and grassiness dominate. This drinks more like a premium oaked Pouilly-Fumé or a restrained, oak-framed chardonnay than a standard sauv blanc. While the oak regime smooths things out, the decision to avoid malolactic conversion allows retention of the grape’s signature food-friendly acidity. An impressively long finish presents a subtle hint of honey, a graceful echo from the oak exposure, plus a final note of acidity and minerality. Excellent effort from a producer that is a world reference point in organic wines.
The Ameri label honors Labid Al Ameri, co-owner and president of Domaine Bousquet. Ameri was born in Kuwait to Iraqi parents. The family fled Saddam Hussein. Labid spent his childhood in Spain before coming to the United States to earn a finance degree from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, where he met Anne Bousquet, daughter of Jean Bousquet, a third-generation winemaker in the Languedoc region of France. Anne was at St. Cloud on an exchange program from the University of Toulouse, earning a master’s degree in economics.
Labid says he was not much of a drinker before college, but drank liquor to keep warm during Minnesota winters. He laughs about how Anne stood out as the only person at a Minnesota bar drinking wine. They fell in love. After graduation, they married and moved to Boston. Labid’s MBA from Northeastern University in Massachusetts led to a career in international equity markets. Anne worked as an economist forecasting the European paper packaging market. Neither imagined a future in South American wine.
Meanwhile, Anne’s father, Jean Bousquet, sold his winery in France in 1997 after a visit to Mendoza, where he fell in love with the possibilities for high altitude Argentine vineyards. He purchased land in the foothills of the Andes in the Tupungato Valley, one of the higher altitude vineyards in the world at elevation 4,000 feet. The climate is very dry. Domaine Bousquet skillfully irrigates via a drip system fed by Andean snowmelt. Gualtallary is one of Argentina’s most prestigious appellations, famous for limestone soils and extreme altitude.
As Jean developed his Argentine winery, he asked his daughter and son-in-law to help. And so they did in 2010. In 2012, Labid and Anne took full ownership, and Jean retired. The couple then built Bousquet into Argentina’s largest organic wine-exporting operation, shipping more than a million gallons a year to more than 50 countries.
Domaine Bousquet Ameri Eva Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Gualtallary Single Vineyard 2024: Pale gold color; pineapple, pear, Meyer lemon, green apple, whispers of light vanilla and honey, oak on the nose and palate. Dry; hint of tannins (likely from oak); fresh acidity. Medium body. Richer, fuller than typical sauv blanc thanks to barrel work, yet still bright. 12.5% ABV
Pairing—Grilled white fish (sea bass, halibut, snapper) with lemon-butter sauce; seared sea scallops; shrimp, crab; lobster with lemon butter; ceviche. Light chicken dishes, chicken breast with tarragon or light cream sauce. Roasted or grilled asparagus; spring salads with citrus vinaigrette; spring pea pasta. Cheese—Chèvre is classic; brie, camembert, havarti; young manchego; feta; Humboldt Fog. Avoid very blue or aggressively washed-rind cheeses that can bully this rich iteration of sauv blanc.
