Malbec Wines, from Argentina

Malbec from Argentina is one of the most reasonably priced, reliable red wines around. OK, if that sounds more like a pre-recall Toyota tagline than a wine descriptor, I apologize, but it’s true. In the under-$20 range, there are any number of malbecs that out perform their price point. The grape has been included in Bordeaux blends for centuries, but more recently its use has declined, with Cahors the only French region still championing the grape. Thanks to Argentina, malbec has had a resurgence in popularity, producing lush and lively reds that seldom disappoint. Here are the panel’s top picks.

2008 Cueva de las Manos Malbec Reserve, $15.99

This wine opens with earthy blackberry, soft chocolate and red licorice aromas backed by a light stroke of spice and mineral. It’s rich and creamy on the palate with a big core of smooth cherry and raspberry fruit. A smooth tannic grip marks the long finish with those red fruit flavors lingering nicely.

2006 Famiglia Bianchi Malbec, $16.99

There’s a light hit of toasty oak and vanilla and a pleasant hint of tobacco on the nose, along with a medley of dusty fruit aromas–cranberry, blueberry and strawberry rhubarb. Round and racy in the mouth, this wine offers bright cherry and dark berry fruit that’s colored by anise and spice. A nice hit of acidity balances things out on the finish.

2007 Fantelli Malbec, Serie Magno, $12.99

The nose of this wine is filled with dark fruit aromas–berry, cherry and plum–rounded out by touches of sweet mocha and earth. This is an elegantly styled wine with impeccable balance between the sweet berry and tart cherry fruit. Light tannins and notes of chocolate and coffee mark the finish. A definite best buy.

Malbec in Argentina

While acreage of Malbec is declining in France, in Argentina the grape is surging and has become a “national variety” of sort that is uniquely identified with Argentine wine. The grape was first introduced to the region in the mid 19th century when provincial governor, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, instructed the French agronomist Miguel Pouget to bring grapevine cuttings from France to Argentina. Of the vines that Pouget brought were the very first Malbec vines to be planted in the country. During the economic turmoil of the 20th century, some plantings of Malbec were pulled out to make way for the jug wine producing varieties of Criolla Grande and Cereza. But the grape was rediscovered in the late 20th century as the Argentine wine industry shifted its focus to premium wine production for export. As the Argentine wine industry discovered the unique quality of wine that could be made from the grape, Malbec arose to greater prominence and is today the most widely planted red grape variety in the country. As of 2003 there were over 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) of Malbec in Argentina.

The grape clusters of Argentine Malbec are different from its French relatives have smaller berries in tighter, smaller clusters. This suggest that the cuttings brought over by Pouget and later French immigrant was a unique clone that may have gone extinct in France due to frost and the phylloxera epidemic. Argentine Malbec wine is characterized by its deep color and intense fruity flavors with a velvety texture. While it doesn’t have the tannic structure of a French Malbec, being more plush in texture, Argentine Malbecs have shown aging potential similar to their French counterparts. The Mendoza region is the leading producer of Malbec in Argentina with plantings found throughout the country in places such as La Rioja, Salta, San Juan, Catamarca and Buenos Aires.

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SOURCES:

“Argentine Malbec”
by David Kirkpatrick
http://www.boiseweekly.com
http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/argentine-malbec/Content?oid=1490305

“Malbec”
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malbec