Old Vine Malbec & More

Malbec from Argentina is a common item on liquor store shelves. As unremarkable as that is now, just a score of years ago wines from Argentina were not available here, and the Malbec grape was practically unknown. Argentina’s wine industry at that time was just in the process of converting from serving its huge domestic market to producing wines suitable to compete on the international scene.

Malbec, on the other hand, has been around for quite a long time, originating somewhere in France. It is one of the six allowed red grape varietals of Bordeaux and can still be found as a tiny portion of the blend at properties such as Château l’Enclos and Château Haut Bailly. The stronghold of Malbec in France is the Cahors AOC, in the South West, where a minimum of 70% of the blend must be Malbec. Most regions in France, however, label their wines based on the place the wine is from, rather than the grape or grapes inside. So unless you know that a wine from Cahors contains Malbec, you might not have heard of the grape until Argentinian wines began to arrive here.

The main characteristics of Malbec are deep colour, tannin, and plentiful fruit aromas and flavours of raspberry, blackberry, cherry, and blueberry. Using older production techniques, Malbec in France tended to produce, rustic, highly tannic wines that were more approachable as part of a blend. Malbec fell out of favour in much of France, particularly Bordeaux, due to its susceptibility to many diseases and production risks, such as frost.

When Malbec found its way to the Mendoza region of Argentina in the 19th century it thrived in the high, dry vineyards. Argentina is the main producer of Malbec in the world today. The recent recognition of the grape has been reflected in France as well, where some producers are producing more approachable wines.

I recently sampled Cigar Box Malbec 2016, from Argentina (NLC $21.48), which bills itself as being made from hand-harvested old vines. The wine proved to be rich in fresh bramble fruit flavours, with spicy smoky accents, supple tannins, and a deep purple hue. Score: 15/Very Good.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Last week I attended Dialog Wines’ “Under the Tuscan Sun” event at Piatto’s, downtown. We were treated to a plentiful supply of tasty, wine-friendly fare and the whole occasion was very good value. The main tasting event consisted of three wines from Italy with a white wine from Venezia and two reds from Tuscany. My notes:

Villa Montecastello Pinot Grigio, IGT Venezie (NLC $18.96) – Aroma of fresh apples and bananas, crisp acidity, and quite tasty compared to many Italian PGs. Medium-light body with some finish. Score 15/Very Good.

Rocca di Castagnoli 2014, DOCG Chianti Classico – Nose of cherry with an earthy component, good tannic bite, pleasant mouthfeel. Score 14.5/Good.

La Rasina Sangiovese 2014, IGT Toscana (NLC $19.83) – Cherry and raspberry flavours with an abundant fruity nose. Smooth tannins supported with good acidity. Score 15.5/Very Good.