Review: 2018 Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc
The Gaia collection is a brand from Domaine Bousquet’s estate vineyards in Tupungato, which can be found in Mendoza’s Uco Valley. Per the company, “The name references the ancient Greek goddess of the earth, and an inspiration for the Bousquet family from the outset, going back to the late 1990s when as visionaries and intrepid pioneers they left their native France to buy and plant in virgin land, high in the remote Andean foothills of Argentina. Today Argentina’s foremost name in organically grown wines, Domaine Bousquet has farmed organically from the get-go, and as such the Gaia collection is made entirely from organically grown grapes.”
Domaine Bousquet is known better for its cabernet sauvignon, which is reviewed below along with its new cabernet franc release.
2018 Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza – This wine’s on the sweeter side, with notes of cassis and blackberries tempered by vanilla and notes of nutmeg and cinnamon. There’s not a lot of additional nuance here, with the barrel really taking over on the finish as the wine takes a turn toward ultra-ripe notes of strawberry jam and baking spice. B / $20
2018 Gaia Cabernet Franc Mendoza – Surprisingly soft and approachable, this wine bursts with a mixture of red and black fruit, tempered by notes of cola and tea leaf, and a gentle layer of barbecue smoke. The tannin here is soothing and already flattening out nicely, giving the wine an instant approachability — though it takes on a slightly beefy note as it warms and opens in glass. B+ / $20
2018 Gaia Cabernet Franc Mendoza
$20
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