On Malbec, and Other Useful Wine Information
I get lots of wine e-newsletters, about half a dozen a week, at least. It’s one of the ways I’m constantly exposed to new trends in the wine world, and other wine-related things I wouldn’t ordinarily know. If you’re trying to learn more about wine, I highly recommend this practice. What you do is, you spend some time checking out online wine purveyors, then sign up for their newsletters. Sure, they’re trying to sell you something, but the amount of information you get in the process is kind of astounding. That’s because many of the newsletters contain a wealth of useful information on a particular wine, or wine region, or wine trend, etc., before you even get to the “we’re trying to sell you some something” part.
For example, last week the Wine Access e-newsletter was all about Malbec, also know as “the hottest category in the marketplace.” What I learned that I didn’t know:
· Argentine Malbec is the hottest category in the marketplace. (just said that, didn’t I?)
· Because of this, lots of Argentinian Malbec is “just along for the ride,” according to the Wine Access newsletter. Meaning, out of 100 Malbecs the WA folk tasted, only about a dozen are truly good. The rest are riding the coattails of the Malbec trend.
· The secret behind the top wines of Mendoza is that the vines used are “old, often ancient. The sandy loam soil is light, imparting a certain vibrancy to the wine.” These vines produce less than 2 tons per acre, and that old vine fruit is pretty stunning stuff.
· Then there are the imitators, which the WA folks divide into two categories: traditional and sloppy, and new wave and cynical. The traditional and sloppy are producing wine from old vine fruit, but the wines have off-aromas, some are prematurely oxidized, and others have “aromatics that aren’t clean.” (I’m not going to lie, I don’t even know what “unclean aromatics” are. If anyone wants to enlighten me, please feel free!)
· The new wave and cynical, on the other hand, are producing wine with “bright, fruity noses, but the mid-palate belies the aromatics. While your nose tells you one thing, your tongue senses another, and as you wait for the wine to fill out — poof — it does an about-face, leaving you with a subdued nose, thin flavors and a simple, acidic finish.”
Well, OK then, the wine industry/agribusiness is cashing in on a market trend, and consumers are along for the party. So I guess pay careful attention to your local wine purveyors advice and input when buying your Malbec.
I don’t drink tons of Malbec, but of what I have had, Susana Balbo is my favorite producer.Â
If you want to read the Wine Access article about Malbec in it’s entirety, check it out here.
I had no idea Malbac was a trend! I tried a glass a few weeks ago and fell in love. It’s probably one of my favorite reds right now.
Hey Lisa!
Yes, Malbecs are hot, hot, hot right now! If you like Malbec, a really reliable producer to look for is Alamos. I know locally here in Wilmington I’ve seen Alamos Malbec lots of places, it may even be in Harriss Teeter, if I’m not mistaken. : )
Kimberly
I’ve had a couple of the Susana Balbo wines and very much enjoyed them. When you get good, properly aged Malbec it’s a thing of beauty, and worth the $40-50.
However, I’m going to come out in defense of the boring, coattails-riding Malbec for one reason: a $10 Argentine Malbec might not be the most exciting wine in the world, but it’s drinkable, relatively smooth, and goes well with a burger or pizza. A $10 California Cabernet is typically pretty rough and nasty, and a $10 Pinot Noir from anywhere is bound to be a major disappointment.
I think a lot of people get scared away from red wine by trying cheap Cab Sav, Merlot, or Pinot Noir–the big names that everyone knows. If you’re just stepping into the red pond, you’re better off with Spain, the South of France, or even Portugal if available in your area. Of course, those are going to have weird names and confusing labels… One of the many enduring problems with developing a wine culture here in the US.
Hey Benito,
You make a good point about “coattails-riding” Malbec — for $10, it makes much more sense to get a Malbec rather than a California Cab or a Pinot Noir — true, true. As you mention, people have been scared off by the $10 Cabs and Pinots, because lots of them are plonk. If only more newbie red wine drinkers KNEW to try reds from Spain, Portugal and the like, but the thing is, when they’re “new” wine drinkers, they go for the big name grapes they’ve heard off. Sigh. My fave sub-$10 red wine is a Rhone blend that is completely drinkable and delicious, and I only know about it cuz I pay vast amounts of attention to these things, whereas, I think alot of just-getting-to-know-red-wine folk are overwhemed by all that’s out there, and don’t always know what to look for.
Maybe there’s a blog post in all this. . . . : )
Kimberly
I know there’s a lot to read here but I want to state for the record I am a serious wino! I have been drinking malbecs since my first early days in Paris twenty something years ago. The wines of Cahors also known as the black wines of France are primarily produced from Malbec grapes and are a secret. .SO much of a secret I expect you to forget everything I tell you and swear on your grave that you will not tell another soul. Now that you are part of the club, the one I like the most for the price about 16 dollars is Clos la Coutale. I am going to steal this from Kim Marcus since it is so well written:” They beg to be drunk with a juicy rib-eye or a roasted leg of lamb. There’s a good sense of elegance to the well-defined, concentrated flavors of dark cherry, blackberry and plum, followed by notes of sage, dark chocolate and tobacco leaf on the long, powerful finish. Drink now. 5,000 cases imported. — Kim Marcus“ If you want a rating it’s 90 by the Wine Speculater. for the current 2007 vintage. This is the one to find and impress your wine drinking friends with. Not sure if it can be had in NC, I smuggle it in from elsewhere.
It’s hard for me to think about spending anything past 20 on a Malbec even though I have spent over a 120 before a few times just out of sheer curiosity on how good the best are. On the low end, the easiest to find is of course Don Miguel Gascon usually around 10-12 bucks. Notice I did not say Alamos which is pure crap. Catena is the one that has put them on the map in Argentina. Bodega Catena Zapata is wonderful in the stepped up 40-60 range but at that point I am looking for a Oregon Pinot Noir that would compliment more of what I am eating likely. If you win the lotto go find as much Catena Argentino Vineyard Zapata Malbec 2006 (110 bucks a bottle) as you can get your hands on and I will be your personal chef until it runs out. The nice thing about that wine is it will lie down and be a superstar when revisited in 20 years.
oops sorry I realize I just said Alamos is a crappy wine…that’s the nice thing about wine and people we all like and think different things.