With International Malbec Day being celebrated around the world on April 17th, today on The Thursday Club with Mike Graham on talkRADIO, we look at this red grape that has shot to fame over the last ten years and won hearts for its chocolatey texture, its blueberry and raspberry notes, its affordability and general approachable character. While Malbec’s spiritual home is around Southwest France, where it is still the flagship grape of Cahors AOC, it is in Argentina where this grape has shone in recent years, thriving in the bright sunlight and dry climate at high altitudes. Here are three Argentinian beauties to try.
Specially Selected Argentinian White Malbec
White Malbec? Yes you heard that right. Red wines are usually only red because the skins of the grape give colour as they are macerated with the juice. If you remove them, you get white wine! In this case, there’s a very faint pink colour, which is very pretty. Bone dry with subtle notes of red fruit but what we love is the texture. A unique version of Malbec alright and well worth trying. It would make a great food wine - ideal with hard cows cheese and fish dishes.
Find it for £6.99 from Aldi here.
Zuccardi Q Malbec, Vista Flores, Uco Valley, Argentina, 2019
Mendoza is the most famous wine region in Argentina and the Uco Valley is a small sub region within it at high altitude, known for particularly high quality wines. Add to that a superstar winemaker called Sebastian Zuccardi and you know you have a serious wine on your hands. Smooth and supple while benign very concentrated with characteristic, savoury, smoked meat notes balanced by blueberry and plum. This wine would love a steak.
Find it for £11.99 Mix six price from Majestic here.
Rutas de Cafayate, Malbec Elegante, Salta, Argentina, 2020
Cafayate is located in Salta: Argentina’s other, lesser known wine region in the northwest of the country. It’s an area that deserves attention for its mega high altitude vineyards, its desert-like land and incredible incredible sunlight, which can give its wines extra structure, concentration and complexity, or if made simply, just a beautiful purity of fruit. This wine is the latter; rather than a more typical, dark chocolate with sea salt note for Salta wines, it’s vibrant and juicy with smooth red and blueberry notes. Very easy drinking but not confected.
Find it at Sainsbury’s here for £8.50
See what else we’ve tasted on the Thursday Club with Mike Graham, here, here and here.