Stephen Reiss discovers a special winery, Jean Bousquet, in a special place, Valle De Uco
This story starts over 20 years ago when my wife Jan and I found out about the incredible bargains available on around-the-world air fares. We put it off for years but swore the day would come when we would sell everything and take off to circumnavigate the globe.
In May of 2008 our time came. We sold almost everything we owned and hopped on the plane for the adventure of a lifetime. As a wine writer and a trained chef my itinerary leaned heavily towards destinations with grapes and culinary delights. We tasted our way through Eastern Europe and headed for Southeast Asia where we were astounded to find wines being made in India, and even more amazed at the quality of the wines being made in Thailand. We ended our journey savoring the flavors of Chile and Argentina.
When we set out on our whirlwind adventure we were open to the idea of relocating, but we had no specific plans. When we started to meet people in Argentina we realized that we were in a land of unparalleled hospitality. Everyone was genuinely friendly and eager to bend over backwards to make our stay perfect. Not that everyone in every other country we met were not also wonderful, but there was something special about Argentina. There was also something special about the wines.
I have been tasting and writing about wine for a long time, therefore I am not easily impressed. Like so many others, I found the Malbecs of Argentina to be very much to my taste. These were not my first Malbecs from Argentina, but tasting so many in a short time taught me something I hadn’t known. Malbec is one of the more expressive grapes in that it exhibits the characteristics of where it is grown more than most other varieties.
It was with this revelation in mind that I made my way to visit Domaine Jean Bousquet in Tupungato, about one hour south of Mendoza. The winery turned out to be owned and run by Jean Bousquet himself; a rarity in this day when so many bodegas are named after long passed patriarchs or anything except the winemaker. Jean and I got along famously. His obsession for quality matched my own, and our discussions lasted several days, often into the wee hours. The unimpeded flow of wine made conversation lively, even if my limited French and Spanish made communicating a bit difficult.
Jean’s wines are all about expressing the climate and soil of where the grapes are grown. The hot days and cold nights of Tupungato allow the grapes to develop aromas and flavors that the warmer regions to the North can only dream of. The Domaine Jean Bousquet Grande Reserve Malbec was the ultimate wine for me. The flavors were intense with dark fruits and black pepper leaping out of the glass. The quality of the wine, and the unbelievable price of only $45 pesos prompted me to give the Malbec the only perfect score I have awarded in years.
Eventually Jean and his daughter Anne Bousquet, the managing partner, asked if I would consider joining the team to create a hospitality program for the winery. I jumped at the chance, and after only a few weeks back in the States to get our lives in order, Jan and I moved to Argentina.
Domaine Jean Bousquet is the largest producer of organic wines in Argentina, and I obviously think the wines are good enough that I was willing to change my life to be part of the winery. I had a huge task ahead of me. With the tourist season just a few months away I had to create a tasting room and small restaurant completely from scratch. With my rudimentary Spanish skills, and my ever - encouraging spouse at my side, we managed to pull it off.
La Sala (The Lounge) became the name of the tasting room, a fitting monument to the goal of excellent simplicity that has become our motto. Open for lunch seven days a week by reservation, we have been welcoming visitors for several months now.
While anyone is welcome to book a reservation for a lunch and tour, it is the Trout & Wine tour groups that really get to take advantage of what we have to offer. These small groups are treated to the opportunity to enjoy a fivecourse meal prepared right in front of them by yours truly. It is like attending a wine/cooking/ photography class, but a whole lot more fun, and punctuated all the way through with the incredible wines of Domaine Jean Bousquet.
I hope to see you at the bodega. Come by to say hi, enjoy some wines and sign our guest book. We would love to share our little piece of heaven with you.
About the Author: Stephen Reiss, Ph.D. is a trained chef and a Certified Wine Educator. He is the author of several books on wine and the web site www.wineeducation.com. Trout & Wine conducts daily tours to Valle De Uco, which visit and conduct tastings at three wineries. Lunch is served at the superb Jean Bousquet winery. (261) 425 5613. Espejo 266, Mendoza. www.troutandwine.com.
