If most wine drinkers associate Argentina with Malbec, how can producers shift the perception to highlight its fantastic ability to adapt to different terroirs? Our Global Malbec Masters competition offers that opportunity. Enter by 23 July for the chance of winning a medal. Malbec certainly has one of the most successful wine stories of the turn of the century. The grape variety, originally from Bordeaux where it is known as Côt, found a second home in Argentina and soon in the glass of wine drinkers all around the world, with the US and the UK as its biggest fans. The generic term of ‘Argentine Malbec’, associated with a full-bodied red with high alcohol and ripe dark berries, helped put both Argentina and Malbec on a map, bringing recognition as its popularity and exports raised. But how well does this term reflect the reality of this grape variety in 2024? Terrazas de los Andes estate director Lucas Löwi argues that “it’s time to talk specifically about terroir” in Argentina – Malbecs from Las Compuertas, Altamira, Los Chacayes and Gualtallary have “very, very different soils.” “Malbec has a history of being fantastic at adapting” adds Andrés Rosberg of Los Chacaye. It can be vinified in many different ways, from white to dessert wines, and doesn’t only thrive in Mendoza. Malbec’s capacity to adapt means it can be a fantastic reflection of the diverse terroir of Argentina and other countries where it is planted, a point supported by last year’s analysis of the
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Fine Wine
