How to choose the best Malbec | Your guide to red wine
Malbec is a leading contender for the world’s most popular red grape variety. Few can resist its charms: Argentinian Malbec is a gloriously concentrated, voluptuous wine, ripe and full-bodied. Heavily planted in the Mendoza region, the variety responds enthusiastically to the soils and climate of the Uco Valley. The best Malbec is simply magnificent, endowed with the silkiest tannins imaginable; you will commonly hear the word velvet used to describe Argentine Malbec.
However, Argentina does not hold a monopoly on high-quality Malbec. It has been grown for centuries in Southwest France, including the vineyards of Bordeaux. However, the acreage declined significantly in the early 20th century as other varieties became prominent. Malbec originated in the Cahors region, now known as Cot or Auxerrois.
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What is Malbec like?
Like every grape variety, Malbec is open to a range of interpretations. For example, Malbec grown in excessively cool conditions has a dilute, herbaceous flavour and astringent tannins. Flip the coin to the top terroirs of Mendoza, and you’ll encounter dark, dense, tannic but fleshy wine of real finesse. Cahors Malbec tends to lack the body of its Argentine equivalent, and yet there is much to recommend in the soft elegance and gamey tasting notes of French Malbec. Under perfect ripening conditions, the thick-skinned Malbec develops a central blackberry, plum and dark fruit aroma and flavour, supported by red and black cherry and damson; vanilla and tobacco; violet aromas will emerge over time. Malbec acquires a lush aspect in warmer areas, offering flavours of chocolate and mulberry. Excessive warmth – or inflated yields – generally results in unexceptional wines lacking bite.
Malbec by region
Argentina
Although Malbec is not indigenous, Argentina’s global reputation was built largely on its most-planted red grape, introduced in the 19th century. Massal selection – a process whereby young vines are grafted onto old root stock – has endowed Argentina with superior clones that yield small berries and more concentrated wine. Today, Malbec is cultivated in every major Argentine wine region. The secret to producing velvety Malbec is to grow the variety at higher altitudes, ensuring that freshness is not sacrificed at the expense of ripeness.
Argentina’s finest Malbec emanates from the Uco Valley in Mendoza; over 27,000 hectares of vines are planted at elevations that rise to 2000 metres above sea level. Calcareous and metamorphic soils typify the vineyards here. An abundance of sunlight is responsible for developing very ripe berries, yet top-quality Argentine Malbec remains well balanced. Diurnal temperature variation (a significant difference between day and night-time temperature) is the secret, at least in part, behind Mendoza’s unprecedented success with the Malbec grape.
France
The signature red grape of Cahors has been cultivated in Bordeaux since the 18th century. It arrived in St-Emilion in the 1730s, subsequently transported to the Medoc and the right bank of the Gironde. By the early 19th century, about 60 per cent of Bordeaux’s vineyards were planted to the variety. However, few proprietors use Malbec in their wines today, save for a minority of estates in the Left Bank. You will occasionally find a small percentage of Malbec in some Grand Vins; Chateau de Gaillat is known for this. Many Malbec vines in Bordeaux are over-productive when compared to their Argentine equivalents. In addition, Bordeaux’s maritime climate cannot always be relied upon to yield sufficiently ripe wines. Single-varietal Bordeaux Malbec is often dilute and overly savoury.
Nevertheless, Malbec remains very popular in the vineyards of Cahors, situated north of Toulouse. Known as the “Black Wine”, Cahors Malbec’s local style is medium-bodied, with spicy characteristics, firm tannins, and good freshness. It is slowly becoming more popular as a wine lover’s alternative to Mendoza Malbec.
US West Coast
California’s climate is ideally suited to the cultivation of Malbec. In Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, abundant sunshine produces a wine style reminiscent of Mendoza, albeit Argentina has the edge on freshness due to the high altitude. Producers in Oregon, meanwhile, have discovered a viable alternative to growing Pinot Noir, the state’s leading grape variety. Oregon’s critical Willamette Valley region is too damp to grow Malbec successfully. However, Southern Oregon is much warmer and drier. Here, Malbec yields very fruit-driven and approachable wines with soft tannins.
South Africa
South African Malbec is on an upward trajectory: there are over 450 hectares planted in the nation, compared to just 40 hectares in the 1990s. Swartland, Paarl and Stellenbosch account for about three-quarters of the total area under production – all concentrated in the Western Cape. The best examples are voluptuous and seductively scented red wines.
Australia
Malbec is grown in several regions across Australia, in various climates that include the relatively cool Margaret River (Western Australia) and the hot, arid terrain of Rutherglen – and everything in between. Hot-climate-grown Malbec is rarely exciting; it tends to be unrefined and aggressively alcoholic. Yet the best Malbec from Margaret River and Orange (New South Wales) are structured, fresh, and slightly spicy reds, a cross between Cahors and Argentine Malbec.
Malbec cultivation and winemaking
In a warm climate, Malbec is relatively easy to grow. It ripens midway through the season, producing a good crop of berries packed with colour, flavour, and aromatics. The only potential concerns are excessive yields: green harvesting and leaf pulling are often required for newer vines.
Yet the Bordeaux experience can be quite different. Not only is Malbec susceptible to mildew and coulure (lack of fruit development), but it is also vulnerable to spring frost – all familiar hazards in a maritime climate. Rot can be another issue in wet vintages. Occasionally, this encourages growers to pick their Malbec grapes before they’re ripe, resulting in vegetal flavours such as green pepper or leaves.
All the best Malbec wines are based on hand-harvested grapes, typically destemmed and crushed before fermentation begins. Precise regulation of fermentation temperature is possible with vinification in stainless steel, producing fruit-driven and aromatically complex wine. However, certain producers favour oak or concrete vats; premium Malbec is often subject to a post-fermentation maceration (the extraction of colour and tannin) for anything from seven to twenty-one days. The wine will then be pressed and allowed to settle before being taken to the oak barrels. Many of the finest cuvées see anything from one-third to 100 per cent new oak. This adds depth, texture and complexity to the wine and softens the tannins.
When to choose Malbec wine
Argentine Malbec (rather like Aussie Shiraz) has long been pigeonholed as the perfect accompaniment to barbecues. Young, concentrated and full-bodied wines can stand up to the intense, smoky flavours of flame-grilled meat cooked over charcoal. Unoaked Malbec – at the lower end of the price scale – also forms a harmonious partnership with chilli-infused marinades and sauces, or it is simply delightful to drink unaccompanied: soft and very fruity.
There is scarcely a moment when a good bottle of Malbec is not welcome. Stylistically, Cahors expressions will offer you firmer tannins and less ripe fruit – such wines are best served alongside roast meats, casseroles, and pork belly. The best bottles, such as the single-vineyard expressions made by Achaval Ferrer, merge intensity and elegance; those looking for freshness and power should seek out wines from cooler spots such as Tupungato (Uco Valley) in Mendoza. The best Malbecs will improve in bottle for many years, becoming more complex and velvety with age. Save them for milestone occasions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Malbec wine dry or sweet wine?
Malbec is a dry wine, but it can offer plenty of sweet berry fruits on the palate: blackberry, damson, and red cherry. Very ripe wines can give the impression of sweetness, even though the sugar in the wine has all been fermented to alcohol.
What is the difference between Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec?
Cabernet Sauvignon, still occasionally blended with Malbec in Bordeaux, is a more tannic red grape variety than Malbec – perhaps less texturally inviting. It is far more widely planted in France than in Argentina.
Is Malbec a good wine for beginners?
Argentine Malbec is usually very soft and approachable. It is world-renowned for its silky texture and intense fruitiness.
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