Malbec wine in Australia

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Malbec was a relatively forgotten red wine variety until about a decade ago, but thanks to Argentina there is now a great deal of interest in the variety. Over recent years there has been a revival of interest in Australia as well.

On this page: The origins of Malbec Malbec wines in Australia List of Wineries The taste of Malbec Malbec and food

The origins of Malbec

In the early 1990s there was a massive resurgence in the consumption of red wine, based on the idea that they were good for your health. Shiraz was one of the main beneficiaries. Recent research indicates that the health benefits of red wine drinking depends on the presence of certain polyphenols called oligomeric procyandins (OPS). Malbec and Tannat seem to be the varieties with the most OPS.

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Malbec's home is the Cahors Region in South West France. In that region it makes rich dark wines refered to as "black wines". These reached legendary status in pre-phylloxera times, but the Cahors region has taken a long time to recover from that disaster. Only in recent decades have the Cahors wines regained more than local recognition. Malbec is also used as a minor variety by some Bordeaux wineries.

In Cahors the variety is also called Cot, or Auxerrois. Other synonyms include Pressac, Pied Rouge, Jacobain, Grifforin.

In Argentina Malbec served as the "workhorse" variety for many years, producing ordinary everyday drinking varieties. The opinion of the wines was so low that there were vine pull schemes to get rid of them, but fortunately wise heads prevailed as it was discovered that with a little care and modern technology Malbec could produce acceptable wines at a price point in the North American and European markets and so an export boom began.

Malbec wines in Australia

The variety is certainly less common in Australia than it was a couple of decades ago, but there is some evidence that it may be making a comeback. Until the 1980s Malbec was used as blending material with Cabernet Sauvignon, shiraz or both. The role of blending partner with Cabernet has been supplanted by Merlot. There has always been a few varietal Malbecs around but the variety was fading away until the past decade when a few enthusiasts have been giving the variety more attention.

List of Wineries using Malbec

A retiform Southern New South Wales Zone
Adinfern Margaret River
Aldersyde Perth Hills
Alkoomi Frankland River
Amicus McLaren Vale
Andrew Peace Wines Swan Hill
Ashton Hills Adelaide Hills
Audrey Wilkinson Hunter Valley
Ballandeen Estate Granite Belt
Barton Estate Canberra
Beckett's Flat Margaret River
Ben Potts Wines Langhorne Creek
Bleasdale Langhorne Creek
Bloodwood Orange
Brave Goose Vineyard Goulburn Valley
Bremerton Langhorne Creek
Browns of Padthaway Padthaway
Bungawarra Granite Belt
Campbells Wines Rutherglen
Cardinam Estate Clare Valley
Carilley Estate Swan Valley
Carpenteri Vineyards Swan Hill
Casa Freschi Langhorne Creek
Casella Riverina
Celestial Bay Margaret River
Chapel Hill McLaren Vale
Cofield Wines Rutherglen
Counterpoint Vineyard Pyrenees
Cullen Wines Margaret River
Delatite Winery Upper Goulburn
Dinny Goonan Family Estate Geelong
Disaster Bay Wines South Coast Zone
Drakesbrook Wines Peel
Eldredge Clare Valley
Emmetts Crossing Wines Peel
Faber Vineyard Swan Valley
Ferngrove Vineyards Frankland River
Fryerstown Road Vineyard Macedon Ranges
Gin Gin Wines Queensland Coastal
Gipsie Jack Langhorne Creek
Golden Ball Beechworth
Golden Grove Estate Granite Belt
Governor's Choice Winery Queensland Zone
Grassy Point Coatsworth Wines Geelong
Gundowringla Wines Alpine Valleys
Harcourt Valley Bendigo
Higher Plane Margaret River
Hills View McLaren Vale
Joadja Vineyards Southern Highlands
Karatta Wine Limestone Coast Zone
Kingsdale Wines Southern New South Wales Zone
Kongwak Hills Winery Gippsland
Lake Breeze Langhorne Creek
Lamonts Central Western Australian Zone
Last Word Wines Clare Valley
McCuskers Vineyard Perth Hills
McHenry Hohnen Margaret River
Millbrook Winery Perth Hills
Minnow Creek McLaren Vale
Mount Charlie Winery Macedon Ranges
Munari Heathcote
Noorinbee Selection Vineyards Gippsland
Nowra Hill Vineyard Shoalhaven Coast
Olssens of Watervale Clare Valley
Peter Lehmann Barossa Valley
Petersons Glenesk Estate Mudgee
Pondalowie Bendigo
Pyren Vineyard Pyrenees
Reedy Creek Northern Slopes Zone
Riverbank Estate Swan Valley
Robertson of Clare Clare Valley
Rodericks South Burnett
Rogues Lane Vineyard Heathcote
Rowanston on the Track Macedon Ranges
Rudderless Wines McLaren Vale
Settlers Ridge Margaret River
Sevenhill Wines Clare Valley
Skillogalee Clare Valley
Stone Bridge Wines Mount Lofty Ranges Zone
Summit Estate Granite Belt
Sussanah Brook Wines Swan District
Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes
Tamborine Estate Wines Queensland Coastal
Tamburlaine Hunter Valley
Tatachilla McLaren Vale
Temple Bruer Langhorne Creek
The Islander Estate Vineyards Kangaroo Island
The Silos Estate Shoalhaven Coast
Thorn-Clarke Wines Barossa Valley
Toowoomba Hills Estate Queensland Zone
Tyrrells Hunter Valley
Victory Point Wines Margaret River
Virgara Wines Adelaide Plains
Warraroong Estate Hunter Valley
Waterwheel Wines Bendigo
Wendouree Clare Valley
Western Range Wines Perth Hills
Wills Domain Vineyard Margaret River
Windy Ridge Vineyard Gippsland
Winya Wines Queensland Zone
Wombat Lodge Margaret River
Woodlands Margaret River
Woodstock McLaren Vale
Zonte's Footstep Langhorne Creek

The taste of Malbec

Rich, gamey, tannic, blackberry, damson, violets...

These are some of the descriptors for these wines used on De Long's Wine Grape Varietal Table

Some Malbec wines, particularly those from Cahors are particularly dark in appearance. When you taste the wine though you may be surprised at the smoother flavour, although many have firm tannic structure. These tannins of course indicate that the wine is probably suitable for aging.

Malbec and food

The two homes of Malbec give some clues for what foods you might consider. Cahors is in South West France where the classic dish is cassoulet - a rustic haricot bean based stew that includes sausages, confit of duck and maybe some pork and other meats.

Argentina is the home of Beef and BBQs, or assado. So you might accompany your Malbec with grilled steak or ribs. Away from the main course you could enjoy a glass of Malbec with some sharp cheese such as an aged cheddar or a from Spain.

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