ORDER YOUR COPY of The South America Wine Guide now! E-book AVAILABLE ONLINE too. You should serve the wines just as you would a regular white wine, chilled, and white Malbecs pair nicely with summer salads and light dishes.ĭo you want to dive deep into Malbec and the wines of Argentina? Most are made in a dry style and with no oak influence, and are wines that are designed to drink young. Typically white wines from Malbec have aromas of white peach, grapefruit, cherry and strawberries, with a refreshing acidity and medium body. Red Malbec grapes – the grape variety used for white Malbec wines White Malbec wines to tryīecause the grapes are picked much earlier than they are picked for red Malbec wines (in February usually, compared to March-May for red Malbec) you can more white fruit and citrus aromas in white Malbec wines as well as fresh red fruit aromas. The first white Malbec wines appeared in Argentina in 2011 by Vicentin Family Wines and Colosso Wines, and since then there are now several wineries making this new style. Most producers also use fining techniques to make the wine clearer before bottling. Although the white wine comes from the red Malbec grapes, it is picked early for higher acidity and pressed immediately so that there is little to no skin contact and the juice comes out clear. The ‘blanc de noir’ technique is common for varieties such as Pinot Noir, and most especially in sparkling wine, but ‘white Malbec’ is a new innovation. In recent years, winemakers have been experimenting with making Malbec as a white wine. While its deep purple colour and rich aromas of plums and red berries make it an ideal grape variety for making smooth, supple red wines, it can also lend itself to making other styles of wines – ranging from rose to white! Malbec has been grown widely throughout Argentina for over 150 years. White Malbec is a white wine made from red Malbec grapes, and has become a popular new style for Argentina’s leading grape variety. So it is a wine that can virtually pair with a meal from beginning to end.What exactly is white Malbec? It’s an unsurprising question as this new category makes its way across wine shops, supermarkets and restaurant menus worldwide… No, there isn’t a white Malbec grape. In terms of food pairing, Cahors Malbec pairs nicely with main courses as well as hard cheese. Take a sip and you will notice firm, structured tannins and a lean elegance to the wine. In contrast, most Cahors producers shy away from the full fruit expression in favor of a more structured wine with lower alcohol where the fruit, and levels of acidity, all come into a discreet balance.Ĭahors Malbec is a historic wine with a veil of mystery about it. Most Malbec based wines from Argentina are all about that rich, jammy ripe black and blue fruit. In contrast, some may consider Cahors Malbec wines a bit more lean and “astringent.” An astringent mouthfeel can be described as that sensation you may feel when taking a sip of freshly-brewed black tea.Ĥ. This can loosely translate to the “smooth” mouthfeel and texture of the wine as it goes down your throat. Malbec wines from Argentina typically have plush, velvet, “softer” tannins. Though you can find 100% Malbec wines from Cahors, most producers blend with a combination of Merlot and/or Tannat.ģ. In Argentina, Malbec is typically bottled as a single grape variety. Argentine wine usually has higher alcohol and more jammy, fruit-driven aromas and flavors because of the intense summer sun.Ģ. Yet when compared side by side, the differences between wines from the two key regions are a bit more obvious.Īging barrels of Cahors Malbec wine Alain Auzanneauġ. While Cabernet Sauvignon is still widely planted there, Malbec has found a new home in the high-altitude vineyards of Argentina. Both Cahors and Mendoza (the major area of Malbec production) can offer vineyards with high altitudes (helping preserve freshness and acidity). Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec is a blend of two dark red grape varieties, both originally from the vineyards of Bordeaux. Malbec, like virtually all other wine grapes, takes its expression of flavor from the region where it is grown. Argentina: The Expression of the Malbec Grape Altitude helps the grapes get better aromatics and freshness that translates into the wine’s acidity.Ĭahors vs. The Malbec vines that are planted on higher terraces are considered superior. Choosing the most precise moment to pick the grapes is one of the primary considerations in the production of a high quality wine. Understanding the soil layers also helps producers choose the optimum time to harvest. Many of the more prestigious Cahors producers are digging “soil pits” to better understand the nutritional and other needs of the grapevines. If you read any wine-oriented magazine today, you know that the focus is on “terroir.” The word encompasses elements such as the soil where the vineyards are planted, the climate, and the altitude.
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