Malbec

The Malbec grape is a thin skinned grape and needs more sun and heat than either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to mature. It is a "midseason ripener and it can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends."Template:Fact=August 2007 In South Africa it is grown in a region called the Swartland. It is not trellised and cultivated as bush vines (the goblet system). Here it has a very low yield of about 6 tons per hectare. It ripens early because of the low yield. The wines are rich, dark and juicy. As a varietal it creates a rather inky red (or violet), intense wine, so it is also commonly used in blends, such as with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to create the renowned red French Bordeaux "claret" blend. Other wine regions use the grape to produce Bordeaux-style blends. The grape also needs a high differential between day and evening temperatures, a minimum fluctuation of 27 degrees Fahrenheit in a day. The varietal is sensitive to frost, has a proclivity to shatter or coulure. The grape is also blended with Cabernet franc and Gamay in some regions such as Loire Valley.