THE TWO FACES OF MALBEC
by Mike Stolese
Over the last 30 years, Malbec — one of the grapes in the initial Bordeaux blend and used mainly as a blending grape in France — has become one of the world’s most popular grape varietals.
One area of France where Malbec has reigned supreme on its own is Cahors in Southern France…one of France’s oldest wine regions.
Called the “Black Wine” due to its extremely dark color, the Cahors Malbec from this region can show a strong tannic backbone for aging and offer black fruits, plum, spices and even a bit of earthiness. It is a very cool wine that will give you a different take on Malbec.
And now that I’ve given you a bit of Malbec history, let’s move on to what really brought Malbec to the forefront of the wine world: Argentina!
Although Malbec was introduced to Argentina in the 19th century, it wasn’t until the late 1990s that it really took off. Top winemakers and consultants from around the world finally discovered how well Malbec took the higher elevation and soil in Argentina, producing a very approachable red with soft tannins and lots of dark fruit.
Now all of this is good news. What’s even better news is the fact that for under $15 dollars, you can have yourself a damn fine bottle of red wine that is ready to drink.
That’s not to say that with a little time in oak barrels, you can’t also find a big, bold red with some aging potential (and I will suggest one)… but to me, the greatest gift Argentina’s Malbec gives to the red wine lover is the quality of wine you can find for the dollar….in other words, a lot of “Bang for the Buck.”
Over the last 20 years or so, we’ve also started to see Malbecs from California, Chile and Australia. So, the word is spreading. In fact, I’ll have to write future column on Malbecs outside of France and Argentina…I need to break out my corkscrew and glass, get to work, and see what they have to offer.
A fun night would be to try both and Argentinian Malbec and one from Cahors. The difference is stunning, and both, at some point, should make your cellar or table. Or, let’s have even more fun…with summer sneaking up on us, try Rose of Malbec. It’s super refreshing and fruity for the front porch or boat, so give it a try…
Click below to see some of our favorite suggestions for Malbec…
Mike Stolese is the owner of Vermont Wine Merchants, a wholesale distribution company based in Burlington.
