“The Clos de los Siete is a malbec blend. Malbec is dominant at 50 per cent but it also contains merlot, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, all grown at high altitude in Mendoza located at the base of the Andes Mountains.,” writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.

April 17 was Malbec World Day, an event created by Wines of Argentina 15 years ago to promote the dominant grape variety grown in that country.

Malbec comes in at just over 40 per cent of reds made there in 2024 and is the most exported Argentine wine.

It is not a variety I now regularly drink, but when my son and I were in Britain in 2023, Argentinian malbec was our drink of choice.

It was good value for money, especially when compared with French wines, and frequently Aussie wines just weren’t available. Hopefully, the Argentine economy is no longer gripped with hyper-inflation that led to the somewhat cruel observation that in Argentina it’s cheaper to take a taxi than a bus, because in a taxi you pay at the end of the trip.

Malbec originated in Cahors in south-west France where it is often produced as a varietal and it is also used as a variety in Bordeaux blends.

In Australia malbec comprises less than one per cent of grapes grown, although there are some award-winning malbecs that are made in Langhorne Creek, notably the Bleasdale 2022 Generations Malbec, which won a gold medal at the 2023 Royal Adelaide Wine Show and can be bought for under $40. 

April 17 is a date close to Easter so four septuagenarians decided to celebrate Malbec World Day and Easter at D’Browes for lunch. Looking at the four of us, much needs to be resurrected so Easter was a good time to be celebrating. Each of us brought along a bottle of malbec, although only two bottles were fully consumed. The two standouts, which we emptied, were both of a 2019 vintage, an Australian and an Argentine. 

One of our number said: “So it’s another old world/new world comparison?” 

“No, it’s a new world versus new world comparison because both Argentina and Australia have a young wine industry when compared with those in Europe.” I said.

The Argentine wine was purchased by one of the group at Vintage Cellars Manuka on the recommendation of a staff member. It’s the Clos de los Siete, a malbec blend. The malbec is dominant at 50 per cent but it also contains merlot, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, all grown at high altitude in Mendoza located at the base of the Andes Mountains. 

It was deep purple in colour. The nose was of violets and black fruit. On first taste it had a lovely mouth-filling plum taste with a toasty oak finish.

The alcohol by volume was high at 14.5 per cent with a medium level of tannins giving the wine structure. It matched very well with the veal and mushroom special that two of us enjoyed for the main course. Vintage Cellars sells this wine for $37 and it is a very good buy at that price.

The Australian was from mate Tom’s favourite winery, Warrabilla, the 2019 Reserve Malbec plucked from his cellar. 

Luckily this wine had time to decant, for it was a powerful 15 per cent alcohol by volume and had a jammy sweetness and lots of fruit flavours. 

Except in colour, it differed markedly from the Argentine wine with no acidity, very fruit forward and bold, also a great match for the restaurant’s special. It was heady in every sense. 

It was a difficult choice but in my view Argentina won the race by a nose unlike the last time I bet on a horse. 

I said to mate Tom: “I put $20 on a horse last week and he came in at twenty five to one.” 

‘Wow! you must be loaded’, said Tom. 

“Not really,” I said, “the rest of the field came in at twelve thirty.”