Malbec: the tooth blackener

Directions

Côt, Auxxerois and ‘the tooth blackener’ are just a handful of synonyms documented for Malbec (pronounced MAL-bek). Originating in South West France, it was produced in the small region of Cahors and shipped to Bordeaux, the heart of a booming middle ages (the 1300s) wine market, where it fought to be sold. Unfortunately for Malbec, Bordeaux winemakers of the time had other agendas, and it was sold only when they ran out of local Bordeaux wine. As a result, shipments of Cahors (Malbec) were often halted and sold at a lower price.

The history of Malbec is not easy to follow – possibly due to its many names. Conjectures about how it arrived in Cahors include Roman invaders from Divona, Italy (150AD). What is agreed upon is its rise to prestige in Cahors, where it sparked the interest of writers, Templar Knights, the Catholic Church and Kings.

The varietal wasn’t recognised as Malbec until 1780 when it was thought to be named after Monsieur Malbeck, who established the first plantings in Bordeaux. It grew in popularity and, to this day, is one of the top five grapes blended in Bordeaux wine. Its popularity in Bordeaux dived when the frosts of 1956 wiped out over 75% of Malbec vines in the region.

Luckily for Malbec, it had already made its way to Argentina, where it rebirthed and flourished and now proudly sits as an emblematic symbol. It certainly wasn’t an easy path, though, with its survival threatened by a ‘vine pull’ program in the 1980s, which saw 250,000 hectares reduced to just 10,000. True to Malbec’s fighting spirit, it bounced back to 45,657 hectares in 2020 – a resilient grape if we’ve ever seen one!

‘Malbec Mouth’, you say?

Ask anyone who has woken with freshly stained teeth and black lips after a night with Malbec, the grape’s deep purple pigments are not to be underestimated. We can thank a pigment-producing substance called Chromogens for this, obviously very abundant in red wine; they can stick to enamel and stain teeth. The tannins in red wine also do their bit by binding chromogens to the teeth, leaving plenty of evidence of your drinking activity.

Looking through magenta-coloured glasses

Hold your glass of Malbec to the light, and the rim will shine bright hues of magenta. It’s a tell-tale sign in a blind tasting. Thick-skinned Malbec is known for its ink-coloured clusters of tightly packed grapes that long for the sun. Abundant in tannins, its flavour profile is intriguing - heavy with dark fruits like black cherry, pomegranate and plum with hints of milk chocolate and oak. Nine times out of ten, it’s a smoky finish.

Where it is grown can impact its profile greatly. In Argentina, it’s fruit-forward with nuances of milk chocolate, whereas in Cahors, France, it exudes leather, currants, black plums and bitters. Australian Malbecs are prized for dark fruit flavours of plum, black cherry and brambles with hints of smoke, leather, wild game, and a touch of black pepper and spice.

A glass of Malbec and…

Steak is a match made in heaven, however, we prefer to lean into its place of origin with a crispy confit duck (with plenty of frites, merci). For lovers of cheese, you won’t go wrong pairing a plush, fruit forward Malbec with the pride of the French blues – Roquefort.

In the end, it can be said that Malbec’s past is a fruity one: sacramental use and a fighting spirit. What shall come next for our brooding, dark-skinned and tannic Malbec? We can’t wait to find out!