Malbec
What is it?
Malbec is a red grape primarily grown in Argentina [1]. It was originally a minor grape in France until Argentinian vineyards started planting it [2]. Malbec grapes thrive at higher elevations as higher elevations have wider temperature ranges (e.g., hotter days and cooler nights), which compels grapes to generate more acidity [2]. Climates with lots of sunshine are also conducive to good Malbec wines. It is estimated that there are around 100,000 acres of Malbec planted worldwide [2]. This is roughly the equivalent of 156 square miles, which would make the land of Malbec fields the 183rd largest country (out of 197); the land of Malbec fields would be larger than Malta, the Maldives, and Grenada, to name a few [3].
Primary flavors of Malbec are red plum, blackberry, vanilla, sweet tobacco, and cocoa [1]. Suggested pairings are foods with bleu cheese or leaner red meats. We had this wine with one of our favorite pizzas from Yia Yia's in Lincoln: the Francais, which has bleu cheese, walnuts, mozzarella, and olive oil.
For the next two weeks, we'll be doing special editions of WOTW. Stay tuned for special guests and homemade wines!
Molly's Rating and Tasting Notes
7.2. On the nose, I get plum and maybe raspberry or some other red, tart fruit. The flavor is pretty juicy with a slight roasty note, but I can't quite tell what the flavors are. The finish is quite dry. The bleu cheese on the pizza brings out some spiced flavors and earthier notes. I probably wouldn't drink this unless handed it, but it isn't the worst red wine I've ever had.
Ryan's Rating and Tasting Notes
8.1. On the nose I get raspberry, maple syrup, and plum. There's also a note of something sour and fermented, similar to kimchi. Upon tasting, there are initially tastes of boysenberry, blackberry, and stewed strawberry as well. There's also some acidity that, when mixed with the fruit flavors, reminds me of sour straws. Towards the end though, there are little bits of more earthy and interesting flavors. In particular, I get potting soil and the essence of an old book from a library. There's also a little bit of tobacco flavor at the end as well. Even though the start is quite juicy, the end is a tad dry and doesn't start for long at all. Furthermore, I'm not sure if all of the different parts of the wine blend together to make a cohesive unit. That being said though, it is still a tasty wine and with the low price you can get it for, I would definitely recommend.
References
[1] Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack. Wine Folly: The Master Guide. Avery - A Penguin Imprint, New York, NY, 2018.
[2] "What is Malbec Wine? Plus 4 Amazing Facts." Wine Folly. https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/what-is-malbec-wine/. Accessed: July 2023.
[3] "List of countries and dependencies by area." Wikipedia. Accessed: July 2023.
Wines we haven't finished
- None this week!