It's been awhile since my last entry, so I wanted to get out a quick post about the world's most exciting wine region: Argentina. If you're a wine drinker, and have not tried an Argentine malbec in the last year...something is very wrong. Argentina is exploding in the United States. In the last 52 weeks, Argentine wine sales in the U.S. are up close to 40% (Nielsen data). The next closest country is Chile at 15% growth. Australia and France are seeing the worst of it with roughly 15% declines.
Malbec. What is it, and why is it SO popular in the United States? Malbec is one of the original Bordeaux varietals. It is used as a 'blender'. Red Bordeaux's consist of Cabernet Sauv. or Merlot primarily, with small amounts of Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cab. Franc. Malbec is a very tough grape to have 'stand alone' in France, since the climate is cool and damp. The grape doesn't grow well enough to produce enough character to be bottled as a single varietal. When you look at the Argentine landscape, you have an area that gets lots of sun, and is relatively warm. The best Malbec is grown in Mendoza, which is situated in the Andes foothills. The higher the elevation (usually 3500 - 4000 ft), the more extracted and concentrated the wine. This leaves winemakers with a more versatile and better grape. The great thing about Malbec is that it's easy to drink (you don't get a lot of strong tannin), and it got a lot of character (spice notes and complexity). It's not overly extracted like Australian Shiraz, which is something that turned people off to that grape. Some of my favorite wines & producers come from:
- Nicolas Catena - Catena Malbec - the original pioneer of Mendoza. First starting producing wine in the early 1900s
- Achaval Ferrer Malbec - one of my favorites. Also, check out their blend called "Quimera"
- Bodegas Salentein Reserva Malbec - opened their doors in 2000. This family has a TON of money, and some of the best vineyard sites in Mendoza. Wine drinks really well now, but has the potential for greatness!
These wines are all under $20, and you're going to get a KILLER bottle of wine! If you haven't explored Malbec, it's about time you did. Next time you're at the wine store, buy a Malbec, and buy a California Cab at the same price. Let me know what you think!
