What is Malbec and why is it so popular?
Over the years, this small, deeply coloured grape has had many names: Auxerrois, Pressac, Doux Noir, Quercy, Plant du Lot and, in Cahors, south-western France, Cot.
ut whatever you call them, Malbec grapes are temperamental – being too sensitive to the wet and cold weather of much of France’s wine regions. So, when phylloxera swept across Europe, most growers never replanted Malbec – they opted for more hardy varieties instead. But when Malbec is healthy and ripe, it makes deeply coloured, intensely flavoured and fruit driven red wines. And the key to the popularity of Malbec lies in how easy these red wines are to drink and how well they go with or without food.
What are the best regions for Malbec in Argentina?
If you want a Malbec with riper fruit flavours and a more velvety texture than you’ll find in Cahors, head to Argentina. Malbec grows particularly well here thanks to sunny days and cool nights. And in the higher altitudes and warmer climates of Argentina’s mountainous areas, it really thrives.
As Master of Wine and writer Jancis Robinson says: “With its high levels of alcohol and fruit, Argentine Malbec is not difficult to like.”
Malbec from Salta and the Calchaqui Valley
It is also worth checking out any red wines from Salta and the Calchaqui Valley. This fertile wine region in the northwest is home to the highest vineyards on the planet. And the higher you go, the thicker the grape skins. Which means higher tannins. High altitude Malbecs have even greater concentration and structure… yet they are still very soft and round wines.
Malbec from Mendoza
Look for Mendoza on the label, and you won’t go far wrong.
Here, the Andes mountain range cuts through the area to its west, so the grapes cultivated by the wineries in the Mendoza region are sheltered from the hot and humid air of the Pacific. It also receives little in the way of annual rainfall, resulting in the area being known for its hot and dry summers and dry and cold winters.
Mendoza is by far the country’s most important wine-producing area, containing around 75% of all Argentinian vineyards. Mendoza Malbecs are fruit-forward reds, dark and plush with black cherry, spicy plum, and blackberry coming through, alongside supporting flavours of chocolate, tobacco smoke, as well as vanilla and leather, if the wines have been aged.
Anyone who is anyone in the wine world makes Malbec from Mendoza – from local stars like Opi Sadler (check out his Opi Malbec) to the owners of Bordeaux’s legendary Château Lafite, Domaines Barons de Rothschild – who joined forces with a third-generation Argentinian winemaking family to produce their superb, barrel-matured Bodegas Caro red.
What are the best food pairings for Malbec?
Wherever your Malbec comes from, it is tailor-made for food…
Naturally, Malbec is a shoo-in for barbecues. The savoury flavours and richness of the grilled meat balance out the tannin of the wine… while fruity, tangy, smoky and spicy BBQ sauces happily match Malbec’s fruity, tangy, smoky, and spicy taste profile. (Sage, rosemary, cumin, pepper, shallot, Cajun spice and cumin spice all work with Malbec).
You can also pair Malbec with lamb and duck dishes, pot roasts, sausages, charcuterie and pulled pork. However, the tannin can be softer than in other reds. Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec doesn’t have a super-long finish. Which means Malbec is a great food match for leaner red meats (think venison or ostrich, not just cuts of steak). It also works well with funkier flavours like blue cheese, as well as mushrooms, roasted peppers, potato, eggplant, squashes and sautéed spinach.
Top food pairing tip:
Look to local cuisines when matching your bottle of Malbec with food.
Those from the higher altitudes of Argentina tend to match best with spicy chorizo sausage or cuts of beef or lamb that feature local spices. Australian Malbecs, on the other hand, can be paired with steak sandwiches, roast legs of lamb or even smoked trout.
