THEWINEMONOLOGUES.COM: "Old school" Malbec

"Old school" Malbec

In recent years, Malbec from Argentina has become a "fan favorite" of a lot of wine drinkers. Like Zinfandel and California are linked together, so is Malbec and Argentina, whichgrows more than 70% of the world’s Malbec.

But, did all you Argentine Malbec lovers know that this variety originated in France? It originated in South West France where it is one ofonly five red varieties permitted in the Bordeaux appellation. But, itplays an almost invisible role in Bordeaux blends and its French base is now in nearbyCahors. In Cahors, red wines must be made of at least 70% Malbec (a combination of Merlot and Tannat must make up the remaining 30%).

Malbec from Cahors (or “Auxerrois,” as locals call the grape) doesn't taste quite like Malbec fromArgentina. Dark berries, red berries, coffee and chocolate generally are front and center in good examplesof both types. The rustic presence of Cahors though ( a lot of "earth" and "musty" tastes), even among the moremodern wines, sets it apart. Another thing that sets it apart is itsability to age. Not every Cahors should be set down for more than acouple of years, of course, but some of the best blends can blossom with some mid-to-long term cellaring. So, when looking to purchase a Cahors from your local establishment, look for a bottle that has some age to it.

I recently had the pleasure to enjoy the 2005 Chateau Haut-Monplaisir Cahors. They make three cuvées with careful use of micro-oxygenation, all 100%non-filtered Malbec. The first is a straight Cahors, a dark,richly-fruited wine made in cement vats; the second is the smokymineral-laden Cahors Prestige, a deliciously meaty wine made in new andold oak; then there is the luxury cuvée Pur Plaisir, which consideringthe labor that goes into the wine, is an astonishing buy. The wine ismade in new 500-liter demi-muids (over sized barrels). At harvest thecoopers come, stand the barrels on end, and knock out the other end.The fruit, from the domaine's best parcel, is crushed directly into thedemi-muids to undergo alcoholic fermentation, an almost unheard ofpractice. Once the initial fermentation is complete, the wine is rackedout of the demi-muids, the coopers are brought back in to re-installthe ends, the barrels are laid on their sides, and the wine is pouredback to undergo malolactic fermentation. This is an immense wine withsucculent, spicy plum and prune fruit, wrapped in round tannins andlong with its iron-infused terroir. www.vintage59.com/portfolio/france/southwest/haut_monplaisir.php

This Cahors had a very intense inky purple color. It had a concentrated nose of cherries, soil, and hints of vegetable.Deeply fruity and complex on the palate with cherries, plum, fresh earth, a little tar, and smokey wood. The structure of this wine is outstandingwith chewy tannins. The finish is long and pleasant. With decanting, this just got better and better, more smooth andthe flavors more integrated. This willdefinitely improve with even more time. The 2005 vintage was a great one in France and Cahors was not left out. Oh yea. . . its also an excellent value at about $16.00.

This is not your usual Argentine "new world" Malbec. In fact, its VERY different. It is more subtle and refined than Argentine Malbec. Don't misunderstand me, I am a big fan of Argentine Malbec myself and if you are too, you should expand your palate and take the opportunity to try a Malbec from a different part of the world made in an "old world" fashion.