Malbec Wine: Characteristics and Growing Conditions
Malbec
Malbec is normally a medium to full-bodied dry red wine. Malbec has plenty of characteristics. It is dark, blue-black, and purple in color. It has the ripe fruit flavors of plums, black cherry and blackberry. Some other characters include Smokey, earthy, leathery, wild game, tobacco and white/black pepper along with a high profile spices that make for an interesting melody of aromas and flavors. It contains a lot of acid and is higher in tannin and alcohol levels. The layers of complexity and uniqueness makes it a one of the best red wines.
Today however, after suffering vineyard losses from replanting of different varieties after the Phylloxera outbreak, and a devastating frost in 1956, fewer than 2,500 acres remain in Bordeaux. Despite these setbacks, Malbec remains one of the six grape varieties officially allowed to be in a Bordeaux blend. Malbec is originally from France and it was broadly grown throughout France and the region of Bordeaux. In France Malbec is also known as Cot, Pressac, or Auxerrois. The word Malbec originates from the French words mal bouche, which basically means “bad mouth”. The reason for this was because back in the days French winemakers did not like this grape variety at all.
Malbec used to be blending grape, used in faint quantities to soften the strength of Merlot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux wines
Malbec commonly ages for around 18 months in the barrel, and can age for upwards of five years in the bottle depending on the season.
Growing Conditions
Malbec typically ripens midway through the growing season and produces small, intensely colored grapes. As it is so sensitive to its growing environment the level of ripeness has a considerable effect on the structure of the eventual wine. Broadly speaking, French Malbec tends to be more meaty, rustic and tannic, while examples from Argentina seem to be uniformly rich, ripe, jammy and juicy. On both sides of the Atlantic, Malbec wines are
Malbec is normally a medium to full-bodied dry red wine. Malbec has plenty of characteristics. It is dark, blue-black, and purple in color. It has the ripe fruit flavors of plums, black cherry and blackberry. Some other characters include Smokey, earthy, leathery, wild game, tobacco and white/black pepper along with a high profile spices that make for an interesting melody of aromas and flavors. It contains a lot of acid and is higher in tannin and alcohol levels. The layers of complexity and uniqueness makes it a one of the best red wines.
Today however, after suffering vineyard losses from replanting of different varieties after the Phylloxera outbreak, and a devastating frost in 1956, fewer than 2,500 acres remain in Bordeaux. Despite these setbacks, Malbec remains one of the six grape varieties officially allowed to be in a Bordeaux blend. Malbec is originally from France and it was broadly grown throughout France and the region of Bordeaux. In France Malbec is also known as Cot, Pressac, or Auxerrois. The word Malbec originates from the French words mal bouche, which basically means “bad mouth”. The reason for this was because back in the days French winemakers did not like this grape variety at all.
Malbec used to be blending grape, used in faint quantities to soften the strength of Merlot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux wines
Malbec commonly ages for around 18 months in the barrel, and can age for upwards of five years in the bottle depending on the season.
Growing Conditions
Malbec typically ripens midway through the growing season and produces small, intensely colored grapes. As it is so sensitive to its growing environment the level of ripeness has a considerable effect on the structure of the eventual wine. Broadly speaking, French Malbec tends to be more meaty, rustic and tannic, while examples from Argentina seem to be uniformly rich, ripe, jammy and juicy. On both sides of the Atlantic, Malbec wines are