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Malbec is a thick-skinned purple grape variety used in making red wine. Known for its plump, dark fruit flavours and smoky finish, Malbec wine offers a great alternative to higher priced Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Originating in France, notably Cahors, and sometimes called Côt or Auxxerois, its poor resistance to weather and pests meant that it never surfaced as a top French variety. Instead, it found a new home in Mendoza, Argentina, where it’s now considered a national variety. Over 75% of all the acres of Malbec in the world can be found in Argentina.
The main fruit flavours in Argentine Malbec are blackberry, plum, and black cherry. It can also offer cocoa, violet and leather notes, and, depending on the amount of oak ageing, a sweet tobacco finish. French Malbec is less fruit-forward with higher acidity, which gives a more peppery, spicy mouthfeel. It is leathery, with flavours of tart currant, black plum, and savoury bitterness often described as ‘green’.
