World Malbec Day – April 17th

Happy World Malbec Day! Deeply colored we are talking that inky purple stain your teeth, full bodied, high tannin wine. Yummy flavors of blackberry and black plum, maybe even some chocolate, vanilla and tobacco depending on if the winemaker used oak ageing. Can you smell the violets and spicy notes? 

Malbec is considered THE grape of Argentina, but like so many others it got its start in France, specifically South West France where we find Cahors. A lovely Frenchman – Michel Pouget brought Malbec to Argentina in 1853. 

These days Malbec is grown in many parts of the world including the state of Virginia. 

While there is a lot of information and history about Malbec it is much more fun to learn about wine by tasting! 

Tasting wines can give you a great sense of place, even the people who grow the grapes, the winemakers who take a cluster of grapes (or a few tons of grapes) and make something spectacular to tickle your tastebuds and spark your imagination. 

In celebration of World Malbec Day I’m tasting 5 different Malbecs side-by-side to see the differences climate and winemaking styles make on the final product. 

Domaine Finot Malbec 2019 – Turk Mountain Vineyard, Afton, Virginia 

First thing, this wine is a gorgeous deep purple, and the fruit practically jumps out of the glass and into your nose! Please smell your wine first, it will give you a great indication of what wonders are about to be swirled around you mouth. 

The Nose: Black fruit – blackberries, plum, even a little bit of bramble, blueberries and lovely violet floral. This wine smells luscious, fresh and jammy. 

 The Structure: This is a dry wine with high tannins that are very well integrated, the acidity is high and helps add a refreshing mouthwatering sensation. The wine is balanced and has a long finish. 

The Palate: all those gorgeous fruits on the nose are right there in my mouth, the blackberry with a bit of that bramble, blueberry and violet. 

Overall, I would say this is a lovely wine, the winemaking (carbonic maceration) really lets the fruit shine. I could easily drink a glass or two on the porch when the pollen isn’t attacking us wait where did the rest of the bottle go? This wine would make an excellent companion to a savory vegetarian dish with mushrooms, a lovely steak or a baked brie with jam. 

single vineyard – carbonic maceration – wild yeast – minimal intervention – small batch 780 bottles – 12.4%Abv) Wine maker is Matthieu Finot of King Family Vineyards, Domaine Finot is a partnership with his brother– he also manages Turk Mountain Vineyard. Turk Mountain is at 1000 feet of elevation. 

*Purchased at Springhouse Sundries in Charlottesville – production is limited so get it while you can. 

Garbiele Rausse Malbec 2019 – Turk Mountain Vineyards, Afton, Virginia 

Another lovely deep purple maybe one tick down on the purple scale from the Finot.

The Nose: It’s got some earthiness, a little forest floor and mushroom. The fruit is still there but not as vibrant compared to the Finot, plum, blackberry, black currant with more of the bramble and violet florals. 

The Structure: The tannins are high but smooth, the high acidity helps make this very smooth and easy to quaff! This wine is dry – just the way I like it!

The Palate: Lots of blackberry bramble, plum, black currant and violet 

Overall, it’s refreshing and when I drink it if I close my eyes I can imagine being in the woods at the Gabriele Rausse tasting room spending way more time than some might think is sensible drinking wine. I would pair this with a beef bourguignon or a charcuterie board featuring duck liver pate and pickled vegetables. 

Single vineyard – 80% Malbec 20% Merlot – fermented in stainless steel – 100% aged in neutral French oak barrels for 12 months – 13.3%Abv – 143 cases. Turk Mountain Vineyard is at 100 feet of elevation. 

*Purchased at the Gabriele Rausse tasting room in Charlottesville

Zuccardi Q Malbec – 2019 – Valle De Uco – Argentina 

Deep purple, the kind you would expect from an Argentine Malbec. 

The Nose: It’s got a little funk on the nose, but the type of subtle barnyard that makes me tingle and think of a bearded man working in the outdoors wearing flannel. Dark plums, violets, cedar, cocoa and leather.

The Structure: Dry – no detectable sweetness here. The tannins are nice, but give a soft silky full-bodied feel, high acidity helps create the beautiful roundness. 

The Palate: Lots of blueberry and violet with some spices like oregano, tobacco and chocolate hints. 

Overall, it packs a punch that I don’t mind at all. It has a long finish, but this wine does need some food or else you might go chase down the next bearded man that walks by your porch. Something with a little heat like a steak fajitas or even a nice juicy burger hot off the grill.

Grown on select vineyard lots in Los Chacayes (3904 ft) and Paraje Altamira (3608 ft) fermented 100% in concrete eggs and amphoras and then aged for a minimum of 12 months in French oak barrels

*Purchased at Springhouse Sundries in Charlottesville

Proemio – Reserve Malbec – 2016

Deep Ruby-Violet in color showing some hints of ruby at the rim.

The Nose: this wine is pronounced; I can smell it before I lift the glass to my nose. It has smoky, cedar clove vibes and a rich black fruited bouquet. The plum, blueberry and violet shine through with the vanilla, leather and spices giving your nose a little party in the glass. 

The Structure: this is one of the “older” wines I am tasting at 2016 – it could definitely stand up to additional ageing. It has high tannins and high acidity and is full bodied, it is so well balanced that I’m not sure it would last that long in my cellar. 

The Palate: Everything from the nose comes through on the palate – it is indeed also a party in my mouth. 

Overall, Yes! It’s a lovely example of an elegant malbec it’s more ballerina than flannel shirted beard man. Go crazy and get some lamb chops and throw some salsa music on the radio and dance around your kitchen.

Fermentation and maceration in small concrete vats with indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation. Unfined. Unfiltered – Aged 12 months in French oak barrels – 10 year old vines – sustainably grown at 2600 ft

*purchased at Second Bottle in Richmond 

Cahors “Les Camille” – Vielles Vignes 2017

Deep Ruby in color

The Nose: that fruit runs the gamut of red and black fruits, strawberries, red plum and blueberry it’s giving me some jammy feelings. Underneath that some lovely vanilla, toast, tea leaves, violet, cocoa and lavender. 

The Structure: This is a dry wine with high tannins and a lovely acidity. Full bodied with a beautiful complexity. 

The Palate: All the fruits come through on the palate for me, but I most certainly get more of the vanilla, toasty, even dried tea leaves and herbal notes. 

Overall, it’s a young wine that is easy to drink but has the backbone to hang out in the cellar for a few years. I’m feeling a French farmhouse vibe with lavender fields out the window and a plate of Strong cheeses for a starter and a hearty stew for lunch. Nap afterwards? Definitely. 

Practicing organic – 60 year old vines – 95% Malbec 5% Tannat – Hand-harvested grapes undergo 5-6 week maceration – wild yeast – barrel aged – 13%Abv

*purchased at Second Bottle in Richmond 

Don’t make me choose a favorite. If anything, I have found there are some amazing lovely and diverse Malbec’s being made all over the world. Find something you like, learn about the winemaker, learn about where they grow their grapes and how the make the wine. Travel may be restricted right now, but pick up a bottle of wine and transport yourself to a new location.