Malbec Magic

Shakespeare once wrote that a rose by any other name is still a rose. Unfortunately for Malbec wine, it has been known by approximately 50 different names. And, perhaps, that has not helped in its storied past to prove its own beauty or worth as a wine grape.

With its start in France’s Loire Valley, where it was known as Côt, Pressac or Auxerrois, Malbec was one of six grapes used to make Bordeaux wines. The name Malbec is attributed to a Hungarian peasant’s surname who was involved in France at the start of its planting there. However, French Malbec was dismissed ultimately as a somewhat needy blending grape and used in small measure.

Thank goodness for Professor Pouet. In 1868, this French agricultural engineer conveyed Malbec cuttings, along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to hot, dry Argentina, giving it a fresh start and perhaps the perfect terroir to make it thrive on its own in addition to blends. This export was particularly advantageous as it came prior to phylloxera’s attack on so many grapes in Malbec’s original homeland, and which nearly devastated the remaining Malbec vines in Bordeaux. Not that they were missed there.

In Argentina, where Malbec is often known as “Fer,” winemakers have realized its potential, especially in Mendoza Valley. Argentina is not alone in this realization. Chile has also made Malbec a hit, as well as a bit of it being grown in the United States and New Zealand. Because of Malbec’s vulnerability to frost damage, France has essentially given up on this grape.

The hot days of Argentina
Perhaps all Malbec ever needed was the right home. Argentina’s high altitudes, hot, sunny summer days, cool summer nights, very arid climate and “sandy, alluvial, porous soils” are exactly what this grape, that seemed so high-maintenance in France, needed.

It also makes a wonderful home for this wine when Argentina’s cuisine is comprised of so much beef, grilled meats, robust sausages and other well-seasoned foods. The medium- to full-bodied Malbec makes a perfect match, and – no surprise, it is ubiquitous to this region today. In the 1960s, I have read, Argentina was among the highest per-capita wine consumers worldwide (80 liters per person per year). But once, again, Malbec hasn’t always had it this easy.

Consider wine’s popularity in the ‘80s. No one had even heard of Malbec in the United States, so winemakers in Argentina questioned whether they shouldn’t and couldn’t grow a more profitable grape. They started replacing their beloved Malbec vines with Chardonnays, Merlots and more Cabernet in a nationwide “vine pull” program. By the end of the decade, only 10,000 of approximately 150,000 acres of Malbec remained. Thankfully, for those of us who adore Malbec, Argentina winemakers realized they had given up something uniquely special and returned to Malbec, such that more has been planted — up to about 25,000 acres these days.
And, it’s paying off for Argentina too, whose wine exports to the United States reportedly have exceeded all other major wine-producing countries in the past five years. In 2008, Malbec grew 43.2 percent in value and 34.1 percent in volume.

Finding the magic
Malbec has become a worldwide sensation for several reasons, not the least of which has been its relative affordability for such a complex, smooth-tannined wine. Reviewers praise this varietal for its dexterity—one that drinks well young but can also endure and improve with aging for 10+ years as well. And the available Malbec are from some very good vintages. You’ll see predominantly 2006s and 2007s, but even the occasional 2005s are considered in general to be…well, excellent.

It’s not that all Malbec is magical, so it’s good to know the pitfalls. Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth wrote last year, “Argentine Malbec isn’t without its hiccups…. Some wines tend toward overripe or jammy flavors; others aim for extraction or lay on too much oak, thereby losing focus. The best versions simply let the grape do the talking, with a vivid range of raspberry, blueberry and boysenberry fruit intertwined with spice and graphite hints and backed by supple tannins and fresh acidity.”

That said, most Malbec lovers will tell you this is a wine where good versions far outnumber bad, and great, outstanding and amazing aren’t so hard to find either.

Ivy F. Kupec