It is time for another edition of “Random Samples”–I occasionally get samples from marketing agencies and/or producers. These can often be grouped together into some sort of over-arching theme: Drink Them and It Will Come, Summer is Here, So That Means (More) Rosé, If It Doesn’t Sparkle, It Doesn’t Matter.

Other times, I get just a bottle or two that do not have any apparent connection or link. Instead of holding on to those bottles until the “right” combination comes along, I decided to link all these “random” bottles together, making their own category (and, being the math geek that I am, “random sample” has a bit of a double entendre).

2022 Louis Bernard Côtes du Rhône, France: Retail $20(?). Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (418g; 14.7oz). Under screw cap. Grenache and Syrah? Apparently, this is a Jean-Charles Boisset brand (what isn’t these days?) and as such, I would expect a wealth of information about this wine on multiple sites. Nope. I think I found the blend (above)? I believe (?) I have the right retail price? Other than that? Fairly dark in the glass with dark fruit (cassis, blackberry), spice (black pepper, cardamom), and a delicate floral aspect (red rose) on the nose. The palate is fruity, but nowhere near over-the-top, with nice spice and acidity. If this is actually twenty bucks(ish)? I would buy it, for sure. But who knows about this wine? I don’t and neither does Google, apparently. Very Good. 89 Points.

2023 Domaine Bousquet Unoaked Chardonnay, Tupungato, Argentina: Retail $15. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (432g; 15.2oz). Under screw cap. It was late, the clock was quickly approaching my 10:00 cutoff. I grabbed this as it had a screwcap. Perfect. Beyond straw and well into yellow with muted lemon and a bit of salinity on the nose with decent fruit and accompanying acidity. Look, this is not a world-beater. It is likely not the wine you would want to rush out and buy by the case. Don’t get me wrong, this is a tasty wine that should certainly be on the “every-day-drinker” list in your household. So in brief? Crushable. Very Good. 89 Points.

2020 Domaine Bousquet Malbec Ameri Single Vineyard, Tupungato, Argentina: Retail $40. Responsible Bottle (547g; 19.2oz). Under DIAM10. 100% Malbec. I have been a fan of Bousquet wines for a while now and the Ameri line represents some of the best wines from Argentina’s largest organic producer. And this wine is fabulous. Dark in color, as one would expect from a top Argentinian Malbec, with particularly dark fruit (blackberry, cassis, plum), a decided vanilla aspect, and a smattering (albeit subtle) of spice on the nose. The palate is fruity, on the verge of really fruity, but challenged by a, dare I say, intense tartness, and more than a modicum of spice. Ok. All cards on the table? In my humble opinion, this wine seems (at least to me) to attempt to straddle the New World/Old World dichotomy as well as try to placate both the “it’s all about the fruit” and the “acidity is the key” crowds. And you know what? It Works! At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, this might be close to the best of both worlds. Excellent. 91 Points.

2020 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Single Vineyard Ameri, Tupungato, Argentina: Retail $35. Responsible Bottle (544g; 19.1oz). Agglomerated stopper. 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon,10% Syrah, 10% Merlot. A single vineyard wine from the leading organic producer in Argentina, this wine sits near the top of the Domaine Bousquet vast product tree. Dark in both color and aroma in the glass, perhaps closer to black than violet with plenty on the nose: dark fruit (plum, blackberry, cassis), along with plenty of spice (black pepper, cardamom, allspice), and a lovely herbal note (sweet basil, thyme). The palate, at least initially, is all about the fruit as there is plenty but it is far from a one-trick pony. The spice that the nose portends is equally present on the palate and the tartness does yeoman’s work holding all that fruit in check. As with almost every wine from Bousquet, this fantastic Malbec blend punches way above its weight. Fantastic. Excellent. 92 Points.

2021 Rhonéa Côtes du Rhône Les Artistes, France: Retail $12. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (402g; 14.1oz). 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre. The Côtes-du-Rhône appellation has two significant characteristics: it is huge and it is a minefield. There are so many producers with so few guard rails that separating the wheat from the chaff is nearly impossible. So when I was offered a couple of bottles to try, I said “sure” in the hopes that I would begin to try to find the road to some clarity. And with this wine, I think I did (I think). This is a perfectly fine wine. It has good fruit, it is relatively balanced with some nice acidity and would provide exactly what you would want alongside a pizza or even a bowl of popcorn and a movie. I have certainly had more complex wines from the appellation, but I have also had some real duds (and that is being kind). So for about ten bucks? Yeah, this works. Very Good. 88 Points.

NV Viticoltori Acquesi Asti Spumante, Italy: Retail $15. 100% Moscato Bianco. Asti Spumante, at least in this country, has a bad reputation, due almost exclusively to those commercials back in the 70s. Well, some fifty-odd years later, the wine has improved quite a bit and the region is trying to shed that decades-old image. As one would expect from a Moscato, this wine is quite aromatic with oodles of citrus (particularly lime), ginger, and a bit of exotic fruit. Yum. The palate is both quite tart as well as sweet (but far from cloying), a real nice balance. Very Good. 88 Points.