Blackisphere

Billet publié le 7 mai 2011 sur The London Pub (Grande-Bretagne).

Extrait : « So what should you expect from a red Argentinean Malbec? Think of damsons and spring flowers with soft tannins and a dense colour. Sometimes I get hints of dark coffee and blackberries. It goes without saying that you get what you pay for but because Malbec is a name not yet recognised by the mass market you can get good examples reasonably priced.

French Malbec growers in Cahors noted Argentinean success with the variety. Cahors has been making Malbec wine for 800 years and more than 80% of their vineyard area is planted with the variety. However, as is common in France, the variety is not named on the label, and in Cahors the variety is known as Auxerrois. Cahors wine is not widely known outside the area– when was the last time you drank any, or even saw it on store shelves?

When Cahors noticed Argentinean Malbec gaining international fame, instead of reacting as other French wine regions have done in the past when the New World took one of their varieties and ran with it, they saw it as an opportunity to promote Malbec and their own wines.

In 2008 the French organised the first International Malbec Day in Cahors and invited Argentinean Malbec growers as their guests of honour. Later that year the Argentineans reciprocated and hosted the event in Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina with the French as guests of honour. May 2010 sees the third International Malbec Day back in Cahors. The French of Cahors and the Argentineans, who between them have more than 90% of the worlds Malbec plantings are working together to promote the variety ».

Cahors is malbec !