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The rise of Malbec: What you need to know about Argentina’s star red wine

Once seen as a cheap alternative to other red wines, Argentinian Malbec has come of age, earning its place as one of the great varietal wines of the modern wine world.

There are vineyards, and then there are vineyards that epitomise a wine region. In Burgundy, the hallowed plots of Domaine Romanee-Conti come to mind. In Champagne, the Cote des Blancs vineyards are revered for world class Chardonnay and elegant Blanc de Blancs bubblies. In Gualtallary, a subregion of Uco Valley in Argentina’s Mendoza province, there’s the Adrianna Vineyard: It sits at almost 5,000 feet above sea level, nestling under the shadow of the towering Andes mountains whose peaks rip across the troposphere.

Established in 1992 by Catena Zapata’s winemaker, Nicolas Catena, the Adrianna Vineyard encouraged Malbec, a red grape, to find its peak expression, setting the standard for other Malbec producers.

Like any great vineyard, the birth of the Adrianna Vineyard came with challenges — and scepticism. Hitherto, no vineyards had been planted in this area named Gualtallary Alto because of problems with frost from the high altitude; naysayers told Catena it would be too cold to grow vines there, but he believed the protective mountain slopes would lower that risk. Eventually, he picked a site on a small hill, which reminded him of the slopes of Burgundy and Bordeaux; a choice that ran against the conventional wisdom of planting in flat areas in Mendoza.

Catena Zapata's high-altitude Adrianna Vineyard. (Photo: Catena Zapata)

Catena’s intuition proved to be right. “At higher altitudes, the intense sunlight causes the vine to send more polyphenols to the grape skins to protect the seeds against the sun, and this results in greater complexity for the wines,” said Laura Catena, Nicolas’ charismatic daughter who has since taken over the reins at her family winery as its managing director. The high-altitude effect had never been discovered until Laura and her team researched it at the Catena Institute of Wine.

Founded in 1995 by Laura, the Catena Institute of Wine has become an integral part of Argentina’s wine research scene, conducting studies on high-altitude terroir and the genetic diversity of Malbec. The institute’s groundbreaking projects include a collaboration with California’s UC Davis that involved the study of 24 individual plots — the most extensive study of terroir ever done in the world — and the discovery of rhizobacteria, a microbe that helps the vine’s roots absorb nutrients and produce quality Malbec in the Adrianna Vineyard.

Catena Zapata, which was recently voted number one in the World’s Best Vineyards 2023 list, is one of several innovative wine producers whose initiatives have helped shape Argentinian Malbec into a force to be reckoned with over the last two decades. Today, Argentina (in particular, Mendoza) is regarded as the world’s best region for making Malbec. The grape is recognised as the wine industry’s flagbearer; it is the most planted red variety in Argentina, with approximately 46, 000 hectares across the country.

Catena Zapata was established in 1902 (Photo: Catena Zapata)

“Malbec and Argentina are a marriage made in heaven because Malbec loves our mountain climate and performs well at different altitudes and in different provinces across the Andean foothills, from Salta in the north to Mendoza in the middle, and down to Patagonia in the south,” said Laura Catena, who likened the taste of Malbec to dark chocolate.

THRIVING IN MENDOZA

Malbec did not originate in Argentina, though. The grape is native to Cahors in southwest France, where it is known as Cot. In Bordeaux, it is one of the six red grape varieties — the others being Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Carmenere — permitted for use in Bordeaux blends.

In the 16th century, Jesuit missionaries started the first vineyards in Mendoza, planting mostly Moscatel and crosses of old Spanish grapes like Criolla. In the 1850s, the Argentinian government hired French agronomist Michel Pouget to bring in vine cuttings from France to create a vine nursery, allowing traditional European grapes like Malbec, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon to be introduced to local viticulture.

Rutini winery in Uco Valley, Mendoza. (Photo: Rutini)

After the phylloxera epidemic in Europe in the late 19th century, Malbec fell out of favour in Bordeaux: The grape’s proneness to diseases proved too much of a risk for vintners who wanted to start their vineyards anew with more reliable varieties.

Meanwhile, Malbec adapted to Argentina’s viticultural conditions and thrived, particularly in Mendoza. But the economic doldrums of the 1970s forced many wineries to turn their attention towards cheap table wine production from Criolla grapes. It wasn’t till the late 20th century that Malbec found its footing again as the wine industry began focusing on premium wine production, and top producers like Catena Zapata, Zuccardi and Rutini began exploring various winemaking styles for Malbec. Apart from single varietal expressions, the grape can also be found in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc.“Malbec is a deep-rooted variety, so it does well in rocky soils like those we have in many parts of Mendoza,” said Laura, whose great-grandfather Nicola Catena first planted the grape in Mendoza in 1902. “The grape also loves the sun but not too much heat.” In Mendoza’s mountainous Uco Valley, the high altitudes have a cool climate that allows the grapes to retain natural acidity, while the intense sunlight results in thicker grape skins and greater concentration of flavours, explained Laura.

Mendoza's different terroirs and altitudes allow Malbec to be made in various styles. (Photo: Rutini)
Harvested Malbec grapes. (Photo: Rutini)

A misconception about Malbecs from Mendoza is that they all taste the same. Rutini’s winemaker, Mariano Di Paola, said the different soil types, altitudes, and micro-climates of Mendoza help winemakers “discover many ways in which Malbec can be expressed”.

“[You have] the jammy and concentrated fruit characteristics of grapes grown in Lujan de Cuyo’s sandy loam soils, and the fresher, floral notes found from those in Uco Valley’s rocky soils at higher altitudes,” added Di Paola. “There are many producers experimenting in different regions and obtaining great results. Taking all this into account, it’s quite easy to understand why Malbec has continued to thrive in Mendoza and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”

Terroir-influenced flavour profiles aside, the style of Malbec has also changed over the last decade to keep up with changing consumer tastes. “Ten years ago, many producers were creating highly extracted, intense, oaky wines, which were expected at that time,” said Di Paola. “Although there will always be a market for those wines, the trend nowadays is for lighter, fresher wines with less oak than before.”

Catena Zapata’s Laura chimed in: “We modified the way of making Malbec. In the old days, it was made like Cabernet Sauvignon with long macerations.” She then discovered that with its floral aromas and velvety tannins, Malbec should be made more like a Pinot Noir with cold fermentation to retain its floral notes, along with whole cluster (whole grape bunches) fermentation and punch-downs (breaking up of grape skins during fermentation) to keep its texture, colour and density.

Laura Catena with the World's Best Vineyards 20233 award. (Photo: Catena Zapata)

Laura also believes Argentinian Malbec has an edge over its French counterpart: Because of Massal Selection (replanting of new vineyards with cuttings from the best old vines), there is a genetic diversity of Malbec in Argentina; the vines produce low yields and refined, age-worthy wines. What is left in France, she added, is “more productive and less refined”.

Gerald Lu, head sommelier of Singapore’s Praelum Wine Bistro, noted that over the past decade, Malbec has “gained a lot of ground in terms of moving up from a cheap substitute to Californian wine to something that can be considered a premium product”.

“[Malbec] has been one of our 10 bestsellers for the last several years,” said Lu. “I don’t think it’s an alternative [to another wine]; it has become one of the staples on our wine list. It has cemented itself as a wine with some fruit and a bit of freshness and easy drinkability — and that’s a good step forward rather than it being a cheap, cheerful wine.”

CNA Luxury picks four Malbec wines you should try.

CATENA ZAPATA, MALBEC ARGENTINO 2020

Malbec Argentino 2020 (Photo: Catena Zapata)

Made from Malbec grapes from the winery’s Nicasia and Angelica vineyards in Mendoza, the Malbec Argentino 2020 is still a youthful wine, with notes of dark fruit, chocolate, leather and rather grippy tannins. Pair this with steak or lamb now, and age a bottle or two in your cellar.

S$167, from Monopole 

ZUCCARDI, ALUVIONAL GUALTALLARY 2014
Aluvional Gualtallary. (Photo: Zuccardi)

The family-run Zuccardi winery has been making wines in Mendoza since 1963. As the wine’s name suggests, the Aluvional Gualtallary is made from grapes grown in Uco Valley’s alluvial soils. Fermented and aged in barrels and concrete vats, the wine is lush and delicious with meaty notes and floral touches.

S$224, from Grand Cru Wine Concierge 

RUTINI, COLECCION MALBEC 2020
Coleccion Malbec 2020. (Photo: Rutini)

This Malbec from Rutini, one of the pioneers of Mendoza’s wine industry, offers aromas of raspberries, flowers, nuts and vanilla, along with a freshness that makes it very approachable.

S$79, from Asia Wine Network

SUSANA BALBO, CRIOS MALBEC 2020

Crios Malbec 2020. (Photo: Susana Balbo)

Founded in 1999 by Susana Balbo, Argentina’s first female winemaker, the eponymous winery has since become a family-run winery, with Balbo’s children, Jose and Ana, now working alongside her.  The Crios Malbec is an entry level wine that punches above its weight: Its rich mid-palate is layered with notes of dark fruit, spices and a light acidity.

S$54, from 1855 The Bottle Shop

Source: CNA/bt

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