Given that Argentine malbec was imported before phylloxera ravaged Europe, the vine material is quite distinct to that in France with smaller bunches and berries, and when coupled with the growing conditions, results in wines of generous and silky personalities, though not without the trademark tannins. Though it is grown widely, the grape is most associated with Mendoza where the best examples are planted at significant altitude, building flavour and retaining freshness. While malbec is a French grape, it is very much the emblematic grape of Argentina, which accounts for the lion’s share of the world’s plantings. Needless to say, this practice has all but died out.

The ‘black wines of Cahors’ have a long history, partly to do with the darkness of the grape and wine, but also to do with the traditional practice of boiling a portion of grape must to concentrate it before fermenting with the remaining fruit. Cahors was similarly wiped out in 1956, with most vines killed, but malbec was replanted and in greater concentration, along with merlot and tannat, which are allowed in the blend up to 30 per cent, though many makers are now concentrating on malbec alone. Malbec is grown in the Loire Valley, under the synonym côt, but it is most famously associated with Cahors, in the south-west. It was once more prevalent, but a severe frost in 1956 saw many vines killed and replanted with cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. Malbec is a French grape, often referenced as a grape of Bordeaux, though its presence there is not significant anymore, and certainly not in the loftier wines, being a more common blending component in the less-glamorous appellations that fringe those better known. Outside of Argentina, where it is mainly bottled solo, malbec is typically blended with Bordeaux varieties. In the winery, malbec can be raised successfully in oak, and carbonic maceration is not uncommon in Argentina. It favours continental conditions, with sunny days matched by cool nights, which helps to keep the acidity in the grapes that would drop off in a narrower temperature range. Malbec is a complicated proposition in the vineyard, with a susceptibility to various diseases during the growing season, as well as the vines being easily damaged by frost. With a generally dark fruit profile, plums, dark cherries and blackberries, malbec can range from the deeply fruited and ruggedly tannic to more supple and silky expressions – typically those from Argentina, where the vine material is quite different to everywhere else. Also known asĬôt is malbec’s original name and one that is used in the Loire Valley and Cahors, where it is also called auxerrois (which is also, somewhat confusingly, the name of a white grape in Alsace). In Australia, malbec is typically blended as a minor component, but with better vine material and new thinking, malbec’s personality is emerging from the shadows. Malbec is a French grape that has become much more synonymous with Argentina, where it dominates the country’s vineyards.

Malbec wine vs cabernet sauvignon