If you translate the French and add the nickname for malbec, this wine could be called The Big Black Black.
While Argentina is home to 75 percent of the world’s acreage of malbec, this selection comes from France, where it is one of the original Bordeaux varieties. The Cahors region is the traditional home of malbec, where the wine is dark and very tannic.
A French botanist took the grape to Argentina in 1868, and today we have Old World and New World styles. The French malbec tends to be more rustic and less fruit forward, an expression of the French terroir.
This wine delivers a nicely balanced pour with fruit and structure at a value price.
Sherry: “Fruity black cherry with close and rose on the finish.” (3½ stars)
Chris: “Cherry and raspberry with a hint of cocoa and balanced tannins.” (3½ stars)
Available from $7 to $10.
Coming next week: Frei Brothers Sauvignon Blanc