🍇 Malbec
A red grape from south-west France, where it is called Cot; Argentina's leading variety with 40,000 ha, 17.8 % of the vineyards (2015).
Malbec is a red wine grape from France. In the VIVC catalogue its prime name is Cot, and Malbec is one of 194 synonyms, as is Cahors. According to DNA markers, its parents are Magdeleine Noire des Charentes and Prunelard.
Malbec's homeland is south-west France, and its best-known French wine is Cahors. The technical file of the Cahors appellation allows Cot, Merlot and Tannat, but stresses that Cot strongly predominates in these wines: it finds a true ecological niche there. In France itself the area has shrunk: VIVC records 10,752 ha in 1958 and 6,155 ha in 2009.
The variety found a second home in Argentina. According to the OIV, Malbec covered 40,000 ha there in 2015, or 17.8 % of the country's vineyards, and its area almost doubled in 15 years. Argentina is gradually moving away from pink-skinned varieties towards black ones, and Malbec has gained the most from that shift.
It is also grown in Chile, with 1,027 ha in 2008 according to VIVC, and in other countries. Several varieties descend from Malbec, among them Jurançon Noir and Caladoc.
Why it matters to you. "Malbec", "Côt" and "Cot" on a label are the same grape, and French Cahors is mostly Malbec. If the grape is named on a bottle of EU wine, it makes up at least 85 % of it. Red wines are served at 15–18 °C and stored lying down, in the dark, at 10–16 °C.
Facts
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Cahors (South West France); Argentina |
| Main use | wine grape |
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Malbec → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Traditions
- 🌍 Latin America, 🧑🤝🧑 French
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ French wine
- Where it grows
- 📜 Cahors, 📍 South West France, 📍 Haut-Pays
- Related to
- 📍 South West France, 🍷 Black wine
- Main grape in
- 📜 Côtes du Lot, 📜 Bourg / Côtes de Bourg, 📜 Cahors, 📜 Malepère, 📜 Bergerac, 📜 Blaye, 📜 Coteaux du Quercy, 📜 Pécharmant
- Wines made from it
- 🍷 Rosé
- Parents
- 🍇 Magdeleine Noire des Charentes, 🍇 Prunelard
- Offspring
- 🍇 Semebat, 🍇 Jurançon Noir, 🍇 Caladoc
- Similar and different
- 🍇 Tannat
Frequently asked questions
Where does Malbec come from?
From south-west France; in VIVC its prime name is Cot.
How much Malbec is there in Argentina?
40,000 ha, 17.8 % of the country's vineyards (2015, OIV).
Is it true that Cahors is made only from Malbec?
Not necessarily: Merlot and Tannat are also allowed, but Cot strongly predominates.
What are Malbec's parents?
Magdeleine Noire des Charentes and Prunelard, according to DNA markers (VIVC).
How should Malbec wine be served?
Like most reds, at 15–18 °C.
What to read next
- 📍 South West France — The land between the Massif Central, the Pyrenees and the Atlantic; IGP Comté Tolosan across 12 departments, Cahors, Madiran and Jurançon.
- 📜 Bergerac — An appellation around the town of Bergerac on the Dordogne, a neighbour of Bordeaux with similar grapes.
- 🧑🤝🧑 French — The French are the main population of France, known for the festive meal and baguette on UNESCO's list, for wine and for cheese.
- 🌍 Latin America — A region from Mexico to the south of South America: about 9% of the world's milk, dulce de leche and fresh cheeses, Argentine and Chilean wines, olives.
- 🍷 Black wine — A very dark, dense red wine; historically the name for Cahors wine made from Malbec.
Similar
🍇 Tannat · 🍇 Carménère · 🍇 Alicante Bouschet · 🍇 Muscadelle · 🍇 Bastardo · 🍇 Villard Blanc
Sources
- eAmbrosia — technical file: PDO «Cahors» (Ares(2011)1333357)
- VIVC (Vitis International Variety Catalogue): passport Cot (Malbec)
- VIVC: area statistics COT
- OIV Focus 2017: Distribution of the world's grapevine varieties
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (grape varieties on labels)
- Simons C.T. Left out in the cold: Serving wines chilled. Temperature, 2019
- Purdue Extension FS-58-W: Wine storage