THE WINE CONNOISSEUR by FAZENDA
THE WINE CONNOISSEUR by FAZENDA
Malbec Ad Alta ...
Nobody drinks Shiraz anymore . At least not in our restaurant , anyway . With the greatest sympathy to our Australian friends , Malbec and meat have become almost synonymous and the quality of the best Malbecs now is breathtaking . The rise in percentage sales in recent years of Argentina ’ s flagship wine is in triple figures ; if you find a restaurateur who has not put it on their wine list , please give them a good shake to make sure they have not been asleep for the last five years .
Less well known is that , as with the world ’ s most commonly planted grapes Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon , Malbec is originally from France and grew widely across Bordeaux and the south west . In our last article we mentioned the Bordeaux Classification , which categorised all of the best Chateaux from first growth ( e . g . Lafite etc ) down to fifth . Back in 1855 when this was put together , Malbec was a key constituent of the blend . A few years afterwards , disease wiped out pretty much all of the vineyards , and when they came to replant , Malbec did not really work . And so , it has nearly disappeared from the region of its birth , un-growable , so the Bordelais moved on . With some fair success , it must be said . The only place left making Malbec is Cahors .
Before this catastrophe had hit , thankfully for us , some samples of the vine had been taken from France via Chile to Argentina , where they found their new spiritual home . This was over a hundred and fifty years ago , so why is the grape only being discovered internationally now , when Argentina produces so much of it ? The answer is ridiculously simple . They drank it all . Yes , all of it . But now less so – in 2000 they drank on average 47 litres of wine per year , per person , compared to 20 litres in the UK . By 2012 Argentina dropped to 32 litres as younger people turn to beer and spirits ( or perhaps just sobriety ). So this has driven a change from quantity to quality , and we are loving it .
The region of Mendoza has a remarkable terroir . Incredible sunlight most days of the year , very dry , but high altitude to moderate the temperature ; this is crucial to retain freshness . It is a harsh climate but the intensity of the sun can ripen grapes and soften the tannins in a way that just doesn ’ t happen in France , even in good vintages . You would not want to sunbathe there , that ’ s for sure . In France the wines can take many years of cellaring to be approachable , but Argentina you simply don ’ t need to wait as long to enjoy them , though the best wines can still age and improve for many years .
Catena have been a pioneer for Argentina , first coming to the world ’ s attention for their Cabernet Sauvignon blend , strangely enough . Their Catena ‘ Alta ’ was the first premium wine , named after the height of the vineyards . Then in 1997 they produced ‘ Nicolas ’ - blind tastings were held in 2000 where they beat or matched Latour , Opus One and Solaia . This fame has allowed them to focus on become their country ’ s most famous premium exporter , planting Malbec at different altitudes in different sub-regions of Mendoza .
This experimentation has led to the demarcation of preferred regions to achieve different flavours , and the creation of a French style “ appellation ” system so you know what to expect once you ’ ve seen the label . And what you come to expect is pretty good - Appellation Vista Flores is a stunning Malbec , with hints of violet , smoky oak and dark cherry . It is easily our most popular wine for very good reason . Last year , your very fortunate writer was also lucky enough to be able to try an extremely rare 2004 vintage of the Catena Alta Malbec . All I can say is wow . Our mission to collect old vintages makes any trip to our temperature controlled wine room a real treat . It is to our good fortune that Argentina and southern Brazil are as famous for meat ( and the barbequing thereof ) as they are for wine , because it gives us a truly amazing combination . The Aussies can throw as many shrimps on the ‘ barbie ’ as they like , it leaves more steak for us .
28 wirrallife . com