a tale of two terroirs:
Malbec, from prince to pauper and back again
By Andrea Eby, Sommelier( ISG), CSW
A Malbec vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina( photo by Mike Muirhead)
Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived a princely grape variety of great fame and renown. It was adored for the deep colour, robust tannins, and complexity that it contributed to red wines. At one time, some of the world’ s finest wines depended on this variety to achieve their full potential. Dynasties were created and fortunes were decided based on its fame and flavour. What is the name of this mythical grape? Would you believe Malbec? Many people know of Malbec’ s fame in Argentina but few are aware of its torrid and tumultuous past.
The Prince of Bordeaux
To learn about Malbec’ s rise and fall, we must travel to Bordeaux, France( the land, far far away) and back in time to approximately 1855. The top Bordeaux châteaux had recently been classified( from First Growth through Fifth Growth) in preparation for the upcoming Paris World Fair. The classifications were based on the market value of a château’ s wines and a high ranking guaranteed an owner entry into the upper echelons of the wine world. Of the hundreds of estates in Bordeaux, only 52 were deemed worthy of this recognition and only four were singled out for the most prestigious First Growth classification. Malbec was an integral component of these iconic wines. With only one change in 150 years, the classification has remained largely static; however, the wines have not. There was a time when over 60 per cent of Bordeaux vineyards included Malbec vines. Now Malbec is a rare interloper in Bordeaux blends. Here’ s what happened.
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