Malbec ~ Wine Varietal

The Malbec grape originates from France; specifically the southestern region of Cahors, with its first documented mention in the 16th century. In Cahors it makes a wine so densely pigmented that the wine was nicknamed "the black wine of Cahors" by the English way back in the day. Originally this variety was called Auxerrois, however, and got its Malbec name when Monsieur Malbeck first planted it in Bordeaux in the 1780's. In Bordeaux it was widely planted as part of Bordeaux's world famous blends until the damage done to it by the frosts of 1956 forced vineyards to replace it for vines with more durable wood. It's still planted in Bordeaux and a permitted blender, but plantings and blend percentage aren't nearly as much as it used to be.

A Little Bit Of Wine History Presents: "Malbec"

Even with such a long history in France, it wasn't well known until it was made famous by Argentina about twenty years ago or so when insanely good bang-for-your-buck Argentinian Malbec hit the American and European markets. And even with that success being recent, it was originally planted in Argentina in the 1880's somewhere in the region of Mendoza. Since then, it has truly made Mendoza its forever home.

(This article was written for GrapeBunch, our weekly wine periodical. Click here to read the original!)

Why is Malbec from Mendoza (and other regions in Argentina) so darn good? It's the terroir. It's everything about the place. Climate, soil, water, topography, everything. Being a thick skinned grape, it handles the altitude of the Andes very well, resulting in a lighter and fruitier wine than the warmer plateaus of French Cahors, where the wines are more rustic and acidic. The culture of the people is also a factor in terroir. What they do with their vineyard practices, and why, for specific results. Argentinians are big on beef and barbecue, so their Malbec naturally becomes a perfect pairing for just that.

Mendoza, Argentina | Land of Malbec & Asado

Argentinian Malbec is technically a lighter red wine, yet because of the rest of its profile it masquerades as a heavier red. It has big dark fruits such as plums, black cherries, blackberries, and a medium acidity that can pop that fruit into raspberries. There can also be chocolate, leather, black pepper, and tobacco. And, call me crazy, I usually get mustard seed in Argentinian Malbec. The tannins tend to be velvety, leaving you with a lush, fruity finish. You cannot go wrong with a Malbec at summer cookouts.

SANTA JULIA [+] MALBEC

The organically grown Santa Julia [+] Malbec shows ripe fruits such as figs, plums and blackberries. On the palate there are further complexities of vanilla, tobacco, coffee and chocolate. This medium to full-bodied wine has soft tannins, good structure and a long finish.

This article was written for The GrapeBunch Wine Periodical.

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