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Marcha
Malbec Nuevo, 2005 Malbec
is growing in popularity. A thin-skinned grape, its wines are usually low in
acidity, relatively high in tannin, deep with an inky-black color, and feature a
particular plum-like flavor. Aromas and flavors of red plums, black currants,
and dried cherries are common. Malbec
originated in France, but exactly where is unknown. One of its 400 synonyms is
Auxerrois Noir, or sometimes simply Auxerrois, a hint that it may be from the
region around that town in Burgundy. In Bordeaux it takes a back seat to
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, and Merlot. It was once much more widely grown in
Bordeaux, but it requires more heat and sun to fully ripen than Bordeaux
consistently provides, and it is sensitive to frost. After a severe frost killed
off 75% of Bordeaux’s Malbec vines in 1956, most were replaced with other
varietals. Today Malbec is most closely associated with the warmer Cahors region
of southwest France where it is known as Côt and often blended with Merlot and
Tannat. It is also found in the Anjou and Tourraine regions of the Loire valley. If
Malbec had mixed success in France, it was spectacularly successful in
Argentina. Introduced by French agricultural engineer Michel Pouget in 1868,
Malbec produced far superior wine than the previously used grapes, and a softer,
less-tannic style than in Cahors. The best examples come from the Argentine
region of Mendoza where Malbec seems to have found a natural home and immense
popularity The local clone is known as Fer. Surprisingly, wine makers at one
time tried to remove it from the vineyards. Plantings of Malbec had reached
50,000 hectares (one hectare equals approximately 2.5 acres), but in the 1980s,
before they realized the international appeal that Malbec could have, Argentina
initiated a “vine pull” program until only 10,000 acres of the grape
remained. In the 1990s, Malbec’s potential and the increase of wine exports
from South America saved the grape, and there are now 25,000 hectares planted in
Argentina. For comparison, Chile has about 6,000 hectares, France 5,300
hectares, and California (where it is used to make Meritage) just 45 hectares. Marcha’s
Malbec Nuevo doesn’t have much structure. It’s Nouveau-like in its soft
fruitiness, but it has much more fruit and is much less grapey than a
Beaujolais. It is the perfect mid-week wine. Enjoy this delightful wine with a
light chill (if desired) now and over the next year. Serve it with any beef
dish, but it would be especially appropriate with an Argentine dish such as Matambre
(stuffed rolled flank steak).
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