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w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m J a n - F e b 2 017 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 5 1 Cahors may be the origin of Mal- bec, which there is called Côt or Côt Noir, but Argentina, where Malbec cuttings were brought from France in 1853, now grows 70% of all the Malbec in the world. (California is the largest Malbec producer in the United States.) And in Cahors, the highest vineyard sits at about 1,000 "I thought we were in the right cli- mate at the right time," he says. "It just felt like, with this climate and elevation, with these aspects and latitudes, we were in the right place to grow some Malbec." STYLE DIFFERENCES As for the style of Idaho Mal- bec, it defies comparison to either the French or the Argentine style. "I think it's very, very different," says Alger. "I think our fruit has some higher tones, a lot more blue- berry notes. This year, the 2014 has some savory tobacco notes to it and a spicy finish." McCure adds, "We're not like Argentine Malbec, but I'd say we're definitely geared toward that style rather than the French, with heavier extraction and riper fruit. We have a little lower acid than what you'll see in France. We're geared more toward that plum/blueberry flavor profile, and I definitely think that blueberry flavor from the Argentine Malbecs is textbook, whereas in France, you get more of the red fruit characteristics and cherry flavors." Could Malbec wine someday dis- place the potato as Idaho's iconic product? "Boy, everybody wants to know the signature grape," says Harless with a laugh. "I think we learned our lesson from Oregon getting tagged as the Pinot Noir state — and now it's trying to push Chardonnay. But the other factor is that there's Malbec, Tempranillo, Syrah, Viognier and Riesling. I don't know if we're far enough along to say we have a signature grape, because the other ones across the board are also pretty darn good!" Bennett agrees: "We don't really put our hat on one certain variety, but Malbec is definitely one that does well here." Susan G. Hauser is a freelance writer based in Portland, Ore., whose lifestyle and business writ- ing appears in a range of publica- tions, from Workforce Management to O, the Oprah Magazine. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. feet. The Malbec of Cahors, some- times called "black wine," is inky, with firm tannins, and generally earthier than Argentine Malbec. Nevertheless, the serendipity of having both almost Andes-style elevation and a similar latitude to Cahors helped Harless reach his decision to make Malbec in 2011. wine@cwtozone.com | wine.cwtozone.com for the winery professional 850 Capitolio Way, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 ClearWater Tech, LLC - Since 1986 Ozone Systems for Water & Air Purification 805.549-9724 | 800-262-0203 Ask us about our easy-to-install, full-line of stationary ozone systems for the small start-up to the largest commercial winery. ClearWater Tech is the leading provider of ozone sanitation equipment for the winery industry. Offering a unique family of stationary and mobile ozone systems that assure microbe free surfaces to: • DISINFECT HOPPERS • CONVEYORS • DESTEMMERS • CRUSHERS • BARRELS • FERMENTATION TANKS • TRANSFER LINES • HOSES • CLAMPS • VALVES • FITTINGS • FLOORS • WALLS • DRAINS ASK US ABOUT OUR SHOW SPECIAL! $1,000 OFF ASK US ABOUT OUR SHOW SPECIAL! $1,000 OFF Visit ClearWater at Unified Booth 303