Though the black, densely flavoured grape is native to the south west of France (you’ll recall it is one of the six players in the Bordeaux blend), it has fallen steeply in plantings and popularity in France; today the black plum, savoury and tannic wines of Cahors are the main center for the grape in its native homeland. Instead, it has been taken up by many newer wine regions, prized for its fruity approachability. It requires heat – more than colleagues Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot – so is well suited to warm, sunny climes.
Certainly Malbec’s star has risen as of late, propelled by Argentina’s thriving exports. Here, tucked against or astride the sunbaked Andes, the grape typically showcases full-bodied and ballsy fruit-forward flavours of blueberry and black plum, backed up by cocoa, smoke and spice and laid out across a velvety texture. Over the past decade, the approachability, ripe fruit and low price point of Argentine Malbec rapidly gained it many fans around the globe. So much so, that today Malbec is almost entirely identified with Argentine reds.
