Malbec is synonymous with Argentina, but it is on the rise again in Europe as the climate heats up.
The rise of Argentine Malbec is one of the most extraordinary stories of recent times. In an audacious piece of reverse cultural appropriation, South American winemakers took an ancient Bordeaux variety, enhanced its varietal flavor, and made it their own.
Today relatively few US consumers in the market for voluptuous Malbec have heard of the so-called "black wine" of Cahors. Mendoza Malbec, however, remains an international commodity only rivaled by Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc. It's definitely a case of one-nil to the New World.
Yet the supply of premium French Côt, to use its Bordeaux synonym, is growing after a long hiatus; Malbec was once the key red variety at Château Lafite according to Hugh Johnson's The Story of Wine. Moreover, in the early 19th Century it accounted for about 60 percent of Bordeaux's total acreage, with a substantial following in the Médoc.
Regrettably, after phylloxera devastated the region's vineyards in the late 1800s, Malbec fell spectacularly out of fashion. This is partly due to poor clonal material that was available in the 20th Century: high-yielding vines ripened oversized berries of anemic dross. As a result, it was kicked out of the Médoc and Saint-Émilion, although some parcels survived in the regions of Blaye and Bourg across the Gironde estuary.
Climate change boost
This chimes with a recent foray into the top wines of Côtes de Bourg and Blaye: Côtes de Bordeaux. Tasting a selection of vintages, including the very warm 2018s and 2016s, it became obvious that Malbec's spicy, damson-scented character was a key part of the blend. And while it's hardly breaking news to talk about producers in Blaye/Bourg using a small amount of Malbec in their grand vin, I was surprised by the percentages – rising to 45 percent in some cases. But was this a hot-weather fluke or a sign of things to come?
"Malbec has more fruit and softer tannins than Merlot, it has outstanding depth at low yields. Good Malbec adapts very well to our terroirs; it gives incredibly intense wines on quality clay, marvelously fresh and refined wines on limestone," explains Franck Benoit, owner of Château Bonnange in Blaye. "So we have replanted more Malbec on our outstanding soils, from red clay to hard limestone. As a result, Malbec will soon account for about 40 percent of our surface area."
It's a similar story at Château Monconseil Gazin. The share of Malbec at the property fell to around 5 percent at the start of the 1990s; it now accounts for more than 16 percent of the cépage and at least 25-30 percent of the estate's grand vin. This renewed enthusiasm is partly being driven by global warming: Malbec is regarded as a more robust variety than Merlot, with a greater tolerance of heat and drought.
"Malbec is a very good answer to climate change in Bordeaux; the grape actually benefits from some hydric stress. It can resist high temperatures very well with a large leaf canopy that protects the grapes from the sun," agrees Nicolas Carreau, co-owner of Vignobles Carreau.
The winemaker at Château Bel-Air La Royère, Corinne Chevrier, also observes: "We have become aware that there are grape varieties that we had forgotten. For INRA technicians, they did not meet what the wine world was looking for."
But Malbec now plays a role of increasing importance in Blaye and Bourg, and not just as a fresher substitute for sun-dried, alcoholic Merlot soup. As confidence grows in the variety, more and more estates are releasing single-varietal expressions that can challenge Mendoza Malbec on its own terms. Château Bel-Air La Royère, for example, now markets a 100-percent Malbec label, judiciously exploiting two small parcels that are more than 75 years old.
Meanwhile, Château Petit Val in Saint-Émilion is very proud of its inaugural Malbec wine, Valentina. Using fruit grown on sandy-clay soils, Valentina is fermented and matured in amphorae, producing a very elegant and refined expression of Bordeaux's Côt. Encouraged by the success of their neighbors, and a changing climate, more Right Bank properties will likely follow Petit Val's lead.
"We started to make a single-varietal label in 2015 – the quality of the Malbec produced that year warranted a standalone bottling. At the same time, we were working on developing our export markets and so it was interesting to offer a wine with varietal-purchasing cues: easier to understand in new markets," says Nicolas Carreau.
According to Benoit, there is a growing reticence in Blaye and Bourg to "hide" Malbec in an ensemble cast when it can be sold, with relative ease, as a single-varietal style.
"We only use a little Malbec for blending – just a few drops will add a round and fruity touch that we are very happy with. We would rather use our hectares for varietal wines, to express distinguished parcels or special aspects of Malbec," he says.
These bottlings include Château Bonnange Malbec and Noir; the latter is based on a "fantastic red clay plot that delivers very low yields, aged in Stockinger barrels to produce a Malbec of concentration and maturity". The limited production, however, utilizes parcels that date back to the 1930s. "We've started to build a reputation with these Malbec labels – we're in some top restaurants, and have received a good response – and scores – from critics,” he adds, mentioning scores up to 96.
The naysayers
It is very exciting to observe Malbec's resurgence, emanating from Bordeaux's most historic terroirs. Recent vintages displayed ripe fruit, good freshness and a silky complexity, with a pleasing lack of rusticity that plagues lesser Cahors. One might even speculate as to the variety's future in the Médoc. After all, if growers in Blaye and Bourg can make it work, why not vignerons in Margaux and Pauillac?
However, although Benoit believes that Malbec should be seen as "the most promising local solution to climate change", apathy to the grape remains strong on the Left Bank.
To my knowledge, I've only tasted one classified growth with Côt in the vat: Château Gruaud-Larose. Alas, try as I might, I could not detect any discernible influence on the blend, although in fairness it was less than 3 percent. Besides, technical director Virginie Sallette has since grubbed up the parcel and replaced it with Cabernet Sauvignon.
That's the Mèdocains for you. I spoke to a cross-section of winemakers in the region and the response was more or less the same: why plant Malbec when you can replace Merlot (which is undeniably suffering because of rising temperatures) with the vastly superior Cab Sav?
One individual, who wished to remain anonymous, even opined that Touriga Nacional is more likely to have a promising future in the Médoc than Malbec, although we're some way off that happening. But it can handle heat very well and it produces vastly superior wine in my view."
From Tuscany with love
Of course, not everyone feels the same. The volume of high-quality Malbec being made in the Languedoc increases every year – I can strongly recommend Domaine Astruc's velvety smooth d'A Malbec.
It has also caught the attention of several Italian producers, not doubt influenced by the variety's enduring global popularity. For while Malbec has been in the vineyards of Abruzzo, Friulia Venezia Giulia, Puglia, Sicily and Umbria for some time, it was almost never bottled as a standalone grape. But, in typical Italian fashion, the owners of Castello di Vicarello decided "why the hell not?"
"The idea of planting Malbec came from my father, who fell in love with the Malbecs from Argentina and wanted to bring his passion to Tuscany," says owner Brando Baccheschi Berti. Thus he planted some vines on the estate's Poggio Vico hill in 2002, in an area overlooking the sea with maximum exposure and a lot of ventilation. Poggio Vico, however, was not commercially released until last year; it's an excellent red with plenty of stuffing and richly concentrated fruit. I have also tasted some very seductive examples from Puglia, not least Terre di Santo Vito's Tinto.
"The grape needs warmth, preferably from a well-exposed south- or west-facing terrain. From a climatic perspective, the vineyard also needs to be well-ventilated, with significant day-night temperature variation," reveals Baccheschi Berti.
"At the moment, production is limited to a maximum of 2500 bottles across two sizes, 750ml and 1500ml. However, we have plans to expand the vineyard size in the coming years, and we will definitely plant more Malbec to increase production."
Should Argentina be worried about this surge of European interest in its flagship grape? No way José: most consumers still regard Mendoza as the only choice for their Malbec fix. It has the cachet and it has the volumes. Nonetheless, as Mediterranean harvests increasingly take place in the middle of summer, this robust variety has much to offer winegrowers. Unless, of course, you live in the Médoc.
Still, aficionados of diversity can no longer complain that their non-Argentine options are limited to the number of fingers on one hand. Today you take your pick from Blaye, Bourg, Cahors, the Languedoc, Puglia, and even the rolling hills of Toscana.
Source: Wine-Searcher