Domaine Bousquet

The Free Bacchus Story

Jean Bousquet bought land at twelve hundred metres in a part of the Uco Valley that had no water, no power and no neighbours. That was 1997. The first vintage came in 2005 and was certified organic, and so has every vintage since — there was never a conversion, because there was never anything to convert from.

Gualtallary sits higher than almost anywhere else planted in Argentina. Thin air, cold nights and hard sun give a Malbec that is firmer and more red-fruited than the soft, plummy style the country built its name on. Less jam, more grip.

His daughter Anne took over in 2011 and began collecting the certificates that cost money and win no medals. Regenerative Organic Certified in 2022, the first winery in Argentina to hold it, then B Corp in 2023. Demeter has certified about half the vineyard; the rest is organic and not biodynamic, which is a distinction most labels blur. No chemicals, no ploughing, cover crops between the rows and sheep and chickens grazing them.

The telling part is what she says about the bits that are not working. Asked why certifications matter, Bousquet volunteered that the winery uses more water than she would like — the sort of number most estates keep out of the report.