Malbec is a thick, red skinned grape with somewhat unconfirmed origins. The most accepted story is that it was originally known as Côt and hails from northern Burgundy. A more appealing story is that it was named after the Hungarian peasant who first spread it through France.
Some report that the name Malbec was first introduced in the late 18th century when a Monsieur Malbeck planted the grape in Bordeaux. Some suggest that Monsieur Malbeck was the Hungarian peasant, and that he wasn’t actually a peasant but rather an aristocrat that set himself up in the wine capital of the world of the time, Bordeaux.
Some purport that the name Côt is a nod to the south-western region that supposedly birthed it; a shortening of Cahors. Some have mistaken Malbec for Malbec Argenté, which is in fact a variety of Abouriou and confusingly also calls Cahors home.
Where is the spiritual home of Malbec?
While its origins may be placed there, Malbec’s prominence rose not in Burgundy but rather in Bordeaux, as one of the six grapes permitted in the traditional ‘Bordeaux blend’. Unfortunately, a famous frost in 1956 (it’s famous in France) wiped out vines across the southern regions and issued massive subsequent re-plantings. In many places, vignerons saw this as an opportunity to start afresh.
In general, Malbec prefers the heat and the sun, and requires it much more than its Bordeaux brethren Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Cahors, which already had a centuries-long history with this inky grape (albeit less renowned than Bordeaux), set about replanting Malbec, while Bordeaux’s focus was elsewhere. And thus, its spiritual home was born (for now).
Malbec was introduced to Argentina in the mid-20th century and one could argue today that the grape is unofficially ‘theirs’. If you have ever been to an Argentine Asado, you will have drunk some Malbec. In fact, if you have ever met an Argentine person, they will probably have raised Malbec as a discussion point at least once. To paint with a broad brush, Argentineans think about Malbec the same way Australians think about Shiraz. Mendoza, which lies gloriously at the foothills of the Andes, is the region most prominently associated. While already an exceptionally high-altitude region, its higher-altitude sub-regions Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo (which have vineyards that sit up to 1,500m above sea level) are the most highly prized.
Do we grow Malbec in Australia?
Viticulturally, Malbec isn’t the easiest grape to grow. In spite of its thick skin, the grape is prone to frosts (we’ve covered that already), rots, downy mildew and multiple grape diseases. We’ve mentioned that it loves the heat, but it also loves cool evenings – let’s turn our attention to Clare Valley and Langhorne Creek.
Clare Valley is where you’ll find most of Australia’s Malbec. Warm days encourage ripening and the development of flavour, colour and aroma, while the long cool nights arrest any overly rapid growth, helping to retain acidity, elegance and length of flavour.
Langhorne Creek performs similarly and thanks to the cool breezes from nearby Lake Alexandrina, has its own microclimate that benefits Malbec’s development. You’ll also find Malbec dotted across our warmer regions, including the Riverina and Margaret River.
What does it taste like?
The ultimate question and one that is not so easily answered – after all, every varietal has more than one dimension. Generally though, Malbec presents a deep violet/purple colour and often stands big and bold in stature. Thick mouth coating tannins and a full blackberry/plum body make it an understandably spectacular choice for fire cooked meats – see Argentine Asado.
It is, however, malleable enough to entertain creative winemakers – the Wolf Blass Maker’s Project is a good example of this.
While Australians are still only just getting acquainted with this inky wine, don’t expect Malbec’s obscurity to last long. It wasn’t too long ago that Shiraz was in a similar position, and Malbec has all the calling cards of a new Australian favourite.
