Ingredients
In the bottle
- Malbec grapes (Cot in its native Cahors), hand-harvested at 22–25 Brix
- Indigenous or selected yeast for fermentation
- Malolactic bacteria
- A little sulphur dioxide as preservative
- French oak, typically 225-litre barriques, some new
- Alcohol by volume: 13.5–15%
To serve
- 1 bottleMendoza Malbec
- large-bowled red wine glasses
- serving temperature 16–18°C (60–65°F)
- a decanter, for young or dense bottlings
Directions
- Understand the terroir first: Argentina’s best Malbec grows in Mendoza, in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, on stony alluvial soils between 900 and 1,500 metres, where intense high-altitude sunlight thickens the skins and cold nights hold the acidity.
- Grapes are hand-picked into small crates in late February and March, chilled, then sorted on a vibrating table and destemmed, with most producers avoiding whole-cluster fermentation for this variety.
- The must is cold-soaked at 8–10 C for three to five days to draw colour and aroma out of the skins before any alcohol forms.
- Fermentation runs at 25–28°C (75–80°F) in stainless steel, concrete eggs or old oak vats for 7–12 days, with pump-overs or gentle punch-downs two or three times a day to keep the cap wet and extract tannin.
- The wine is left on skins for a further one to three weeks of post-fermentation maceration, then drained and pressed, with press wine kept separate and blended back by taste.
- Malolactic fermentation converts sharp malic acid to softer lactic acid, then the wine goes into French oak for 12 to 18 months, racked every three months and fined if needed with bentonite clay or egg white before a light filtration.
- To serve, stand the bottle upright a day beforehand, pull the cork and decant young vintages for 30–60 minutes: high-altitude Malbec is dense and opens noticeably with air.
- Pour at 16–18°C (60–65°F), a few degrees below room temperature, into a large bowl. Expect an opaque violet rim, aromas of blackberry, plum and violets, a faint cocoa and vanilla note from the oak, plush tannins and a soft acidity. Drink it with empanadas, provoleta or grilled vegetables from the parrilla.
Technique
- Malbec is French by origin, brought to Argentina in 1853 by the agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget, and it nearly disappeared in Cahors after the 1956 frosts. The Argentine expression is riper, softer and more floral than the dark, tannic French one.
- Altitude is the defining factor. Every extra hundred metres brings more ultraviolet light, which builds anthocyanins and tannin in the skin, and a wider day-night temperature swing, which preserves freshness.
- This is a wine you buy rather than make. Home winemaking from bought grapes is legal in many countries but will not reproduce a Mendoza bottle, and nothing about it involves distilling.
Substitutions
- Cannot find Mendoza Malbec? A Cahors from southwest France is the same grape in a leaner, more savoury, more tannic style.
- For a lighter Argentine red at the table, Bonarda is the country’s second most planted variety and is juicier and lower in tannin.
Variations
- Uco Valley Malbec, from the highest vineyards, floral and taut with fine, chalky tannin.
- Luján de Cuyo Malbec, the classic, rounder and darker-fruited.
- Malbec rosé and sparkling Malbec, both made in quantity for the domestic market.
History
French agronomist Michel Aime Pouget brought Malbec cuttings to Mendoza in 1853; the date is marked each 17 April as World Malbec Day.
Frequently asked questions
What is Malbec?
Malbec is a wine & spirit from Argentina: dark, plummy red wine from Mendoza’s high-altitude vineyards. French agronomist Michel Aime Pouget brought Malbec cuttings to Mendoza in 1853; the date is marked each 17 April as World Malbec Day.
How long does Malbec take to make?
Malbec takes 10 min of preparation and 12–18 months in barrel of cooking. The recipe makes 1 bottle, 750 ml. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Malbec?
Yes, within limits. Cannot find Mendoza Malbec? A Cahors from southwest France is the same grape in a leaner, more savoury, more tannic style. For a lighter Argentine red at the table, Bonarda is the country’s second most planted variety and is juicier and lower in tannin.
What is the most important thing to get right in Malbec?
The must is cold-soaked at 8–10 C for three to five days to draw colour and aroma out of the skins before any alcohol forms.
