As many of you know, I am in France this week, but the life of a wine blogger/wine writer does not stop, which is why I brought the following wines with me this week to taste and evaluate along the way.

Of course, I am kidding. How many people have ever brought wine to France?  That list has to be short and my name is not on it.

What is not a joke is Domaine Bousquet,  and while the name is French and it owned and operated by French people, it is the top producer of organic wine in Argentina and the wines are some of the most consistently good (and good value) wines in all of South America. The wines are also organic and their bottles all get my stamp of approval for being environmentally responsible. What more could one ask?

2022 Domaine Bousquet Danaus, Spain: Retail $13. Responsible Bottle (599g; 21.1oz). 45% Tempranillo, 45% Garnacha, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Made from organic grapes. Under cork. I have been sampling wines from Domaine Bousquet for quite some time now, so I was excited to get my first glimpse of this venture into the Spanish wine scene. Dark in color and quite fruity (even “overly fruity”) this is clearly a New World wine made with Old World grapes. As I said, fruity with a boatload of red, black, and blue fruit on both the nose and the palate. Toss in a bit of acidity and here we are. No, this is not a wine for aging, nor is it a wine for “impressing”. It is a wine for drinking without much time for thinking; a wine to watch the game, a wine to throw into a red sangria. Very Good. 88 Points.

2023 Domaine Bousquet Pinot Noir Gaïa Rosé, Gualtallary, Valle de Uco, Argentina: Retail $18. Responsible Bottle (562g; 19.8oz). Under agglomerated stopper. What is not to love about this wine? Rosé of Pinot Noir. Check. Organic fruit. Check. Responsible (yet also very cool) bottle. Check (and check). Everyday price? Check. Tons of fruit as one would hope in a rosé with ample acidity and a bunch of verve. I believe this is the first rosé in the Gaia line for Domaine Bousquet and I could not be happier with this effort. OK, that is a bit of a fib. Yes, the wine is fruity and fun but I wish it were completely dry; that 1.29 g/l of sugar is not, in my humble opinion, necessary. But I nitpick. I am a huge fan of what Domaine Bousquet is doing and I really dig this wine. Excellent. 90 Points.

2023 Domaine Bousquet Rosé, Tupungato, Valle de Uco, Argentina: Retail $12. Very Responsible Bottle (408g; 14.3oz). 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Syrah, 10% Pinot Gris, 10% Viognier. Under screw cap. I tasted this wine alongside the Gaia Pinot Noir Rosé and I have a similar reaction to both: fruity and fun, but a tad too much sugar. I get it, really tart and acidic wines some might found off-putting, but these wines have the requisite fruit to combat the zing. Case in point. Great red berry fruit with a slight floral aspect on the nose with a tangy (although it could be a tad more…) mid palate and a surprisingly lengthy finish. I have professed my adoration for the Domaine Bousquet ethos and this only reinforces it. And around ten bucks? No brainer. Very Good. 89 Points.

NV Domaine Bousquet Brut Rosé, Mendoza, Argentina: Retail $13. Heavy Bottle (688g; 24.2oz). 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay. Organic grapes. 8.2 g/l dosage. Charmat method (think Prosecco). Hopefully, I am back in the regular rotation for an annual sampling of this wine since it always delivers. No, it is not going to make you forget about sparkling wines from other snootier regions (you know who you are), but as a weekday infusion of bubbles (and a rosé to boot?) this checks all the boxes. Great red berry fruit, a nice tang on the mid-palate, and finishes just a tad sweet (but it works). Very Good. 89 Points.

2022 Domaine Bousquet Malbec Lo Ca, Valle de Eco, Argentina: Retail $12. Incredibly Responsible Bottle (400g; 14.1oz). Under screw cap. 100% Malbec. USDA Organic. I am not quite sure how I feel about the Lo-Cal wines in general, but I have been a fan of Bousquet for so long now, I approached this wine with gusto. Well. This wine had roughly 20-25% fewer calories and is it “worth it”? Well. I do not know the whole process here, but as far as I could ascertain, the lower alcohol is derived through ripening and picking decisions, not through manipulation in the winery. Yes, the wine is fine, even very good, but a bit meaty, still with plenty of fruit, and a tart midpalate. I probably should be counting calories, but I am a way off from doing that with wine. Very Good. 87 Points.

NV Domaine Bousquet Chardonnay Lo Ca, Valle de Uco, Argentina: Retail $15.  Incredibly Responsible Bottle (397g; 14.0oz). Under screw cap. 100% Chardonnay. This is now the second iteration of this wine I have tried and while most of the notes from last year remain constant (“Pale straw in the glass with plenty of citrus and tree fruit on the nose. Quite tart on the palate, as one might expect (when one picks for lower alcohol as an end result, the fruit would have to be harvested at a lower sugar level, which also means higher acidity and it comes off as much more Sauvignon Blanc-like, at least to me. That is not a bad thing in any way, but those looking for a creamy Chard will not find it here.“), this wine comes off as slightly tarter, even a little on the unripe side. Very Good 88 Points.`