Malbec

  • Aromas and Flavors: notes of plum, anise, tobacco and rasinMalbec Grape
  • Taste is spicy and rich in Argentina but gamey in Cahors, France
  • Very deep color with ample tannin (tannins vary from region to region)
  • AKA: Outside Bordeaux it is known as Côt Noir in Cahors, also as Auxerrois (In France, there are in fact hundreds of local synonyms)
  • One of the traditional “Bordeaux varietals”
  • Has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
  • Thin-skinned grape and needs more sun and heat than either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to mature
  • Used to add complexity to claret blends
  • Although plantings in the Medoc have decreased by over two-thirds since the mid-twentieth century, Malbec is now the dominant red varietal in the Cahors area (the Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70%)
  • Major red varietal planted in Argentina
  • Much of the Malbec vines there were transplanted from Europe prior to the outbreak of phylloxera and most is therefore ungrafted, planted on their own roots
  • Where French examples are usually considered short-lived, Argentine Malbecs seem to age fairly well
  • Successful Argentine Malbec growers claim that, in order to develop full maturity and distinction, Malbec needs “hang time” even after sugar levels indicate ripeness. Otherwise, immature Malbec can be very “green” tasting, without its characteristic
  • Malbec is also planted in Chile
  • Relatively little and recent acreage in California and Australia (usually blended with other red varietals in these countries)