Arturo Malbec 2017

In the mid nineteenth century the Governor of Mendoza engaged a French Agronomist to bring a selection of new grapevine cultivars from France to Argentina, creating a training ground for teaching viticulture with the aim of improving the quality of local wines. One of those varieties was Malbec, now the signature variety of the nation.

These vines were exported immediately before the great phylloxera epidemic, and the particular selection of Malbec which was shipped is now believed to be extinct in Europe. It has subsequently evolved over the last century and a half into clones which are distinctly different from their French forebears.

In the late twentieth century Arthur Bruce Chalmers imported a selection of grapevine cultivars from around the world to Australia in an effort to broaden vineyard diversity and improve wine quality by clonal selection. In that shipment were six clones of Malbec, selected from the best vineyards of Mendoza.

Arturo Heathcote Malbec is made at the Chalmers Merben winery. Each vintage the wine is made as a co-fermentation of varying ratios of those special clones, grown on the unique Cambrian terroir of the Mount Camel Range in Heathcote.

Malbec originates from Southern France where it is most widely planted in Cahors and found as a blending variety in Bordeaux. It was introduced in to Argentina in the mid 19th Century where it has firmly planted its feet and now makes striking and robust single varietal wines that have given new characterisation to the grape. In the late 19th Century Malbec was introduced into Australia and poor or inappropriate clonal selection resulted in perfumed wines, lacking structure which had little commercial appeal and so Malbec was used predominantly for blending. With the import of the Matura clones by Chalmers in the early 2000s Australia is starting to achieve more clonal diversity in Malbec and seeing some more concentrated and dynamic Malbec wines being produced.

Usually harvested mid vintage, Malbec thrives in the warm conditions of the Chalmers vineyard in Northern Heathcote. High density planted, east-west oriented rows trained with vertical shoot positioning allows for perfectly even exposure of the grapes during the ripening period. Hand-picked fruit is 100% destemmed and fermentation is in open fermenters without yeast addition. Fermentation typically goes for 20 days. The wine is then pressed and matured in 80% old and 20% new French barriques. Malolactic fermentation is natural. The wine is then bottled without fining and with little or no filtration after about 12 months. No animal products are used in the production of this wine which is 100% vegan friendly.

Deep purple in hue and bursting with pretty aromas of raspberry, cherry, violets and soft herbs, this robust yet gentle wine has a palate which perfectly balances fresh mariposa plum, spice and a certain meatiness. Balanced oak influence adds to attractively grainy tannins resulting in an elegant, structured and persistent wine.

The classic match for Argentinian Malbec is char-grilled red meat. That advice can be taken here too. In fact the typical charry, smoky note imparted by the red Cambrian soils in this wine lend it to a pairing with barbequed flavours perfectly.