Les Jamelles Malbec 2015

Wine Wednesday is a bottle of Les Jamelles Malbec 2015. Gotta say, I was pretty swayed by that stellar label while I perused the wine selection at our new fab neighbors at the First & Spring shop, Cone & Steiner. We are big Malbec fans in the Watson Sive household, so I am always happy to find a new easy wine to have with a simple week-night meal. A little bit of backstory from web searching.

Tasting Notes
: This elegant, ruby colored wine tinged with red boasts a spicy nose with hints of licorice and notes of red and black fruit. It is soft and well-structured on the palate with solid fruity flavors and fine tannins that give this wine its elegant length. This Malbec is the ideal match for Mediterranean cuisine, pizza, couscous and tagines, as well as assorted meats, cheeses and grilled red meats. It is also delicious with chocolate. 

History: Les Jamelles Cépage Rare collection which is aimed at introducing wine lovers to a selection of heritage, forgotten, or little-known varietals that make up the viticultural heritage of southern France. These wines are the result of a long quest that allowed us to discover vineyards in which the vines thrive and flourish. We learned to determine their optimal yields and how to best vinify the grapes.

Origin: 
Malbec, is said to have originated in France’s Quercy region and the vineyards of Cahors. It was then introduced into the Gironde and Touraine regions around 1810. It resulted from a cross between Magdeleine Noire des Charentes and Prunelard. It is the main varietal used in the Cahors area of appellation as well as being cultivated in the Bordeaux region. 

Character: 
This early-ripening grape yields very fruity, aromatic, deeply colored wines that are rich in tannins and well-suited to ageing. It is often used for the production of rosé wines. This rather capricious varietal needs to be able to reach full maturity. It expresses its full potential when grown in poor soils. Although it can produce 80 to 100 hectolitres per hectare, it produces its best quality wines when yields are limited.

Terroir: 
Malbec is rare in the Languedoc region. However, we discovered two very different vineyards whose 30-year-old vines produce low yields of high quality grapes. These vineyards, whose surface area is approximately one hectare, are located in the Languedoc area of appellation where the earth is very warm and strewn with galets (rounded stones). These grapes give depth and color to the wine, with their tangy red berry flavor, lend finesse and freshness.