A look at the Chilean version of the Malbec

Report: “A look at the Chilean version of the Malbec“, LaCav, by Harriet Narhwold:

“(…) Felipe Diaz is the owner of the vineyard Loma Larga, Casablanca. There the Malbec is the most notable expression of this type of climate, with acids that handle even the heaviest oak and provide an excellent alternative for pairing with fatty fish dishes.
Diaz tells how it was a difficult start with this particular varietal. He knew the Malbec vines had delicate roots, which meant he needed to find a loam sand soil (no clay) that drained well, hard to find in Casablanca. But he found just what he needed on the slope of a hill. There he planted the vines facing north, making sure the maturity process was slow and prolonged helping the grape reach optimal phenolic content.
Diaz is emphatic in ensuring that if the Malbec hadn’t given the results it has or were expected, he would have torn out the vines or grafted a different varietal onto them. But the wine grower concurs with Jose Miguel Viu in saying that while the plant feels comfortable and remains well adapted to a determined soil, climate should have little effect. The varying characteristics of Chile from east to west as well as north to south create a veritable mosaic of attractive opportunities for this particular red, with character as different between them as wines from Colchagua, Casablanca or El Maipo.”