Malbec

Malbec (Malbec) – red wine grape. Country of origin – France (namely, the surrounding area of Cahors). Today is known as a flagship variety of Argentina.

Synonyms varieties: cat (Cot), Cahors (Cahors), Okserua (Auxerrois, only in Cahors)

Malbec from Cahors (France)

Showing excellent results in the lands and wineries of Mendoza, Malbec for a couple of decades moved from comparative obscurity to international fame, bringing Argentina worldwide recognition as a serious wine producing country.

Malbec is part of the American blend of Meritage (Meritage) and is widely represented in the vineyards of California.

Malbec – a variety with medium maturity. Berries medium-sized, with intense color. As it is very sensitive to external factors, the degree of ripeness of the grapes strongly influences the structure of the wine produced from it.

On both sides of the Atlantic Malbec made to withstand in oak to enhance the wine structure and increase its potential for development.

French Malbec

Overall, the French Malbec can be described as the wine is more dense, rough, tannic.

French Malbec is closely associated with his native region of Cahors (Cahors). The rules of the appellation AOC Cahors require a wine that says on the label to consist of at least 70% made from the Malbec grape. The remaining 30% are given a soft, “rounded” the Merlot and powerful tannin variety tannat.

Malbec is also known as a component of the classic “Bordeaux blend”.

In the French regions, Malbec is traditionally known under the name of the cat (Cot), but because of the popularity of Argentine Malbec, the international spread got this name.

In the Loire Valley Malbec included in the blend with Cabernet franc and Gamay, sometimes as an ingredient in the sparkling wines of Saumur (Saumur)

In the 20th century happened notable failures of Malbec as a wine variety.

Its importance for the region of Bordeaux sagged seriously in the result of the great frosts of 1956 that killed a sizeable amount of the oldest vines in the region. After this trouble many wineries do not have to fill the depleted ranks of Malbec, and began to replace them more resistant and more commercially viable varieties like Merlot.

Argentine Malbec

Comparable damage to the Malbec caused a large-scale program to reduce plantings of the grape in Argentina, second half of the 1980s. Then they uprooted a huge number of vines of Malbec, including some of the oldest vines in South America.

Susceptibility to cold and exposure to kolluru not added love European growers this class. But in a more high and dry lands of South America, Malbec is revealed in all its glory.

Argentine Malbec wines presented in a wide range of styles.

Argentine Malbec – a more Mature, a jam, an integrated and easier-drinking (compared to French).

At lower altitudes, his berries the skin is thinner and the grapes are delicate and soft – a very good combination for the rose and the mass of red (they are often used carbonizes maceration to achieve effortless summer style red wines).

Slightly higher – at the bottom of the slopes of the Andes – the skin of the berries is thicker and the concentration of the flavor substances above. Wines with altitude of over 1000 m, the aroma and the color is more intense, they are generally brighter and are among the best wines of South America.

The tall vines of Argentina – Salta – more than 3000 m above sea level.m. This is one of the highest situated vineyards in the world.
These vineyards are planted mainly with Malbec and another milestone for Argentina grape variety, Torrontes.

In Australia and New Zealand popular Malbec blends with less tannic Merlot. getting a bright wine with a fruity bouquet. The descriptions are often present “tones of plum and violets”.